Only Talking
by pottergal
Summary: *Author's Note is up* Only talking... oh the things that abound from this simple phrase. H/Hr, read and review and I'll love you forever!
1. Only Talking, Chapter One

  
  
This is going to be my disclaimer: I have never read a single HP fic, nor have I ever written one. My friend (who shall remain nameless, per her request) demanded that I write an H/HR fic, simply because she loves the couple. I am a HP fan, and just so you all know, I personally can see pretty much any couple such that I don't really have a bias. Well, almost any couple. My friend told me about the Draco / Ginny couples, and I'm sorry, I don't see that. I know I may be pissing a lot of people off, but hey, I have my opinions. Um . . . let's see. I'd love to know what you think of this story, which is my vision of how Harry and Hermione would get together. Flames are going to be used to roast marshmallows. If you don't see the h/hr couple, please go back now. Why would you want to read something you're going to hate from the off? Hope to hear from you if you like it – pottergal  
  
PS. HP so doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the genius JK Rowling and WB and whoever else is in on it. I'm just a poor student with no claim to it whatsoever.  
  
*~*~*  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
_ Only Talking:  
_  
_ Chapter One  
_  
By: pottergal  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
*~*~*  
  
Sixteen year old Harry Potter sat at an empty table in the Gryffindor common room early one Saturday evening, surrounded by his school books. Most of the other sixth years had left for a trip to Hogsmeade, but Harry had elected to remain behind and catch up on some of his assignments. It was the first time since the beginning of November that he had honestly sat down and attempted his homework; for the past few weeks, he'd been in a state of shock. And all because of Cho.   
  
Ah, yes, the lovely dark haired Ravenclaw. Harry still had a momentary sting of pain every time his mind wandered back to her. Her smile still haunted his dreams, her laugh still echoed through quiet corridors, and her sparkling eyes still gazed at him with that look, that look of unreadable emotions. He remembered the first rain of the season, how she'd gone out and twirled beneath the falling drops, her hair and skirt fanning out around her. She'd extended her hand, beckoning him to join her . . .   
  
Harry shook his head furiously to clear his thoughts and told himself firmly to get a grip. Their relationship was over now; it had been over since the beginning of November.   
  
_God, we must've set some record._ He thought bitterly, tapping his quill absently on a piece of parchment that was supposed to have his Potions homework on it. _Cho and I barely lasted over a month._   
  
At the end of September, just as the term was getting underway, Harry had finally worked up enough courage to ask the pretty Ravenclaw to go with him on a Hogsmeade trip. It had taken him several rushed questions and several deep breaths before he managed to slow his words enough for Cho to understand. He remembered with a faint smile how red her face had gone; it had been red enough to rival his own burning cheeks. She'd accepted, of course, and thus their relationship had begun.   
  
But it felt like it had ended about a few seconds later, not one month. They hadn't really done much, save go to Hogsmeade, or maybe eat dinner together in the Great Hall once or twice. Both of them had Quidditch practice on top of homework, so they'd never found much time to do things as a couple. Besides, Cho had her own group of friends and was a year ahead of him. He should've seen the break coming, but being such that he had been floating on air most of the time, he hadn't.   
  
It was right after the Halloween Feast, which they had spent together, that Cho had asked to speak to him alone. Of course he agreed, who wouldn't? She'd lead him to a secluded hallway before telling him she wanted to break up. This had hit him like a ton of bricks; he never had expected anything like it. He dimly recalled her saying something about the fun she'd had, but . . .   
  
"It's Cedric, isn't it." He'd said, his lips pressing into a thin line. Her dark eyes had flittered to him in slight surprise, but she nodded. The pain of losing him was still too fresh for her, she'd said. And what with He-who-must-not-be-named gaining power, she didn't want to get attached to Harry and then lose him as well. The time wasn't right for her to have a relationship, she said. It had been wrong of her to even agree to go out with him; she said she'd felt like she'd been leading him on when she knew in her heart that she wasn't ready. Harry had only nodded to that, he didn't trust himself to speak. Cho had given him a faint smile then before hugging him slightly.   
  
"Good-bye, Harry." She'd said softly before walking off and vanishing into the shadows.   
  
"Harry? Hey, Harry!" A distant voice called, snapping him out of his reverie and into the present. The blank sheet of parchment was now covered in random inkblots and his Potions homework was no closer to being done. He blinked and looked up to see Seamus and Dean looking down at him curiously.   
  
"Drifting there, eh Harry?" Dean said and Harry nodded. "And I see why. Potions homework."   
  
"Dean and I haven't done it either. Mind if we sit down and work on it with you?" Harry shook his head and the two of them squeezed into the spot across from him. They opened their books, brought out their quills and parchment, and began to read.   
  
"What page was the assignment again?" Dean murmured before looking at Harry's book and flipping to it. "So why aren't you at Hogsmeade?" Harry shrugged. "Just didn't feel like going, or what?" He shrugged a second time. "It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Cho Chang, would it?" Harry stared.   
  
"Maybe just a little." He finally said. "But that's only part of it." He crumpled up the blotted parchment before pulling out a fresh one. "More of it has to do with Ron and Hermione." Dean and Seamus gave eachother knowing looks.   
  
"Ah yes. The two . . . lovebirds." Seamus drawled sarcastically before snorting. "I don't know how those two ever got together. You'd think they'd be lunging for the other's throat when they're not cuddling." He made a face of disgust.   
  
"The amount of time they spend fighting is incredible." Dean added. "I've been wondering how much time they have until one of them decides enough is enough." Seamus nodded in agreement. "Mind you, I'm hoping it's before their fights turn physical and Hermione puts Ron in the hospital wing with a nasty hex." Harry's mouth quirked slightly in a smile.   
  
"I don't think things will escalate that far." He said with more wishing behind it than believing.   
  
"Oh come on, you're not deaf, even though you might be after one of their fights." Seamus said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You've heard them, and the way they carry on, I'm sure eventually it'll happen. Personally, I hope for Ron's sake that it doesn't."  
  
"Yeah, the amount Hermione reads, she must know some damn powerful hexes. I bet she could blow Ron to kingdom come if she wanted to." Dean said and Seamus snickered. Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised Ron doesn't live in fear of her."  
  
"Hey, maybe that's how she got him to go out with her. She threatened to hex him if he didn't." The two began to snicker more loudly and Harry glared at them slightly.  
  
"Come off it, you two. You know Hermione isn't like that at all." The snickering stopped. "The amount of times she's saved you in Transfiguration, I would've thought you'd be a little nicer to her." He said heatedly, annoyance slowly turning into anger. "And even if they do fight a lot, I'm sure they care a lot about eachother. They've lasted since the beginning of summer, haven't they?" He said waspishly, a small part of him jealous of how much longer they'd manage to stay together. Dean and Seamus shared a slightly worried look.  
  
"Sorry there, Harry. We didn't mean to offend you, we were just having a bit of fun." Dean soothed, his gaze still slightly worried. "Look, we're sorry we insulted Hermione. I know she's your friend and she means a lot to you. But you don't have to get so worked up about it." Harry drew back slightly and took a deep breath, his anger slowly draining out of him.  
  
"I know, I know . . ." He grimaced. "I just . . . I haven't really . . ." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.  
  
"You haven't been yourself since Cho dumped you." Harry felt a nasty pang as Seamus' words cut through him. "Hey, we know. Everyone could see it, the way you were slacking off in school. I was surprised that we managed to win that Quidditch game, but then again, it was against Ravenclaw." Seamus said with a wry twist to his mouth. "Must've felt good to beat her."  
  
"There's no doubt about that." Harry said with a smile. "Now what about that Potions homework? I really need to - "  
  
"What's that noise?" Dean said suddenly, cutting Harry off. The three of them fell silent and listened as two loud voices drew closer and closer. Harry blinked as Seamus groaned and Dean sighed heavily. "Here we go again . . ."  
  
Right on cue, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger stomped into the common room, their faces red not from the cold but from the fact they were bellowing at eachother at the top of their lungs. Seamus put his head down on the table and Dean plugged his ears. Harry debated whether to get up and pull them apart, but decided against it. He'd already been dragged into enough of their squabbles.  
  
"That's enough, Ron Weasley! You're such a moron, sometimes I wonder what it is I see in you!" Hermione shrieked, her voice loud and high. "I'm sick to death of you! The only reason you asked me out in the first place is because I'd do your homework? Honestly, I don't know how I can stand you!" And before Ron could get a single word in, she stomped out of the common room, the Fat Lady telling her off for slamming the portrait shut.  
  
"Well neither do I!" Ron shouted through the closed portrait, his whole body positively shaking with rage. "You're a nightmare, you hear me!?" He roared in frustration before kicking one of the chairs. Harry shook his head slightly. Those two were quite simply impossible.  
  
"All right, what'd you do this time, Weasley?" Dean said, his arms now folded over his chest and his expression slightly amused. Ron glowered at him before stomping over and plunking down heavily beside Harry.  
  
"I didn't do a single thing. All I was doing was talking to Parvati and Lavender while Hermione got some butterbeer and suddenly I had a mug chucked at me and Hermione yelling like a banshee about what an insensitive jerk I am." He said crossly and Harry noticed that Ron smelled strongly of butterbeer; apparently Hermione had thrown a full mug and it had doused him.  
  
"I'll tell you what you did, Weasley." Seamus said with repressed laughter. "You opened your mouth." Dean and Harry snorted with mirth. They couldn't help it, and Ron threw them death glares just the same.  
  
"Honestly, she's mental. All I was doing was talking. Where's the harm in that?" Ron said defensively and Harry gave him a look.  
  
"Well, you obviously said something to upset her." Ron bristled.  
  
"Why is it always my fault, huh? Everybody always sides with that . . . that . . . devil!" Ron pointed at the closed portrait, clearly meaning Hermione. "Even you, Harry, my best friend!"  
  
"Don't give me that." He growled slightly, not being in the mood to be accused of anything today. "I side with you more often than not, even when I know what a loud mouth you can be." Ron blinked slightly and Harry stood up, gathering his things. "I'm going to the library, where I might be able to get some peace and quiet. I'll see you later." And with that, he left the common room.  
  
"What's with him?" Ron asked in slight confusion as the portrait slammed shut for the second time that day.  
  
"Oh nothing." Seamus said. "He just hasn't been himself since Cho dumped him." Ron looked stunned. "But of course you'd know all about that, being the wonderful friend that you are." He said as he busied himself with his Potions assignment.  
  
"How long . . ." Ron began, but Dean waved him to silence.  
  
"He's been like that for about two weeks or so? And honestly, that's the most I've heard him say in a while." He and Seamus shared a look. "It means he's on the road to recovery." The two smirked before returning to their homework, leaving a still stunned Ron to tramp up the stairs to the boy's dorms to wash off the butterbeer.  
  
*~*~*  
Hermione stomped through the nearly deserted halls of the Hogwarts castle, the pure rage pouring off her making anyone left in the halls scurry out of her way as fast as possible. Her whole face was set into a deep and nasty scowl as she thought about the one person who had made her this angry, Ron Weasley. Honestly! She felt like screaming, he made her so mad.  
  
" 'I didn't say anything, Hermione!' " She repeated bitterly. "Yeah right, you jerk." She turned a corner and stormed through a throng of first-years, hardly even stopping to notice them or allow them a moment to get out of her way. She stomped onward, leaving a wake of very confused and slightly hurt eleven-year-olds behind her.  
  
"I wish I could throttle him, just beat him to a bloody pulp sometimes!" She seethed, her fists clenching at her sides. "Hex him, curse him, do anything to make him realize what a goddamn moron he really is!" She stomped up a flight of stairs, her mind not registering where she was going. She was just marching aimlessly, working off the fury inside her.  
  
It had started like any other Saturday at school, with the hum of excitement among anyone in their third year and up. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and soon they'd be heading down to the village for butterbeer and the joke shop and all the sweets. Ron kept talking about the new fudge Honeydukes was coming out with, failing to notice Harry's lack of enthusiasm. When he finally failed to notice his best friend's indifferent attitude, he simply ignored Harry's shrug as an answer to what was wrong. Hermione's warning instincts had kicked in then, but she hadn't had a moment to really pester Harry. Ron had been too busy talking.  
  
She hadn't had time to talk to Harry before they left for Hogsmeade, and had been stunned when Neville had told her that Harry had stayed behind. When she'd told Ron this, he merely brushed it aside before wrapping his arm around her. It gave them more time to be alone, he'd said, and had earned a glare from Hermione. Didn't he care about his best friend? She'd asked. It was nothing to worry about was the answer she'd received. Harry just got like that sometimes. Hermione had opened her mouth to argue, but Ron had shushed her.  
  
"Let's not start arguing." He'd said with an endearing smile, signaling the end of that conversation. Hermione had smiled in return, but was squashing down a frown and more worry. Harry never got distant unless something was really bothering him. Sure, he had his times where he'd get quiet, but even then when she'd talked to him, he'd been warm and friendly. Now he'd just been cold. But Ron never saw this. Ron never saw anything beyond his nose, she thought frustratedly.  
  
"We should go back and make him join us." She'd said after a while and Ron had thrown up his arms.  
  
"Hermione, you're such a worry-wort! Give it up already, there's nothing wrong with Harry. He's not going to burn down the castle." She'd fixed him with her best McGonagall glare as he spoke.  
  
"Sometimes you've got to be the thickest person on the planet, Ron Weasley. I bet you haven't even noticed that he's been - " But he'd cut her off by clamping a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Come on, Hermione. Have some fun for once, and stop worrying. I'm sure that whatever is bothering Harry will come out in due time." She'd glowered at him, but didn't stop him from dragging her into Three Broomsticks. "Now, how about some butterbeer? I'll go find us a table." She'd huffed in a miffed sort of way before going to get two mugs of the drink.  
  
"Two please." She'd told Madam Rosmerta, who passed her two steaming tankards of butterbeer. Picking them up carefully, she'd picked her way across Three Broomsticks until she reached the table Ron had picked out.  
  
" . . .it is true then, that the only reason you're going out with Granger is because she does all your homework?" Hermione had stopped cold as Parvati Patil's voice floated to her. She could see the back of Ron's head, directly between Parvati and Lavender Brown, both of whom were focused on him intently. "That's what I heard you'd said."  
  
Anger had raced through her again then, part of her marveling over what a real git Ron was. She could dimly hear his answer, but she didn't stop to decipher it. She did the first thing that came to mind; she dumped both tankards of butterbeer over his head and dropped them. Parvati and Lavender had leapt away from Ron at that, who had looked rather shell-shocked. And then the fight had begun.  
  
"Sometimes I hate him beyond belief!" She hissed as she stomped into the library, earning a reproving glance from the librarian, Madam Pince. She found a secluded table and plopped down in one of the chairs before getting up again and wandering through the rows, her anger cooling once faced with the books surrounding her. This place always seemed to calm her, she couldn't say why. Maybe it was the quiet atmosphere, or the slightly musty smell of aging books, but whatever it was, it managed to overpower her fury and quell it. She sighed slightly as she ran her fingertips along the cracking bindings of the books before finally settling on one to pull out and read.  
  
"_Around the World, A Comparison of Wizarding Lifestyles._" She read off quietly before slipping back to her table to sit down and begin flipping through it. She blinked as she reached the table; someone had beaten her to her favorite spot. It was the chair right below the paned window, the deep sunset pouring in and illuminating the dark hair of a young man. She couldn't quite see who it was, due to the fact he had his head down on a pile of books.  
  
"Excuse me?" She said timidly. "Do you mind if I share the table?" He may've been in her spot, but she wasn't about to give up the table. It was the only one surrounded by tall bookshelves, and she loved the private feel. Plus it had a great view of the lake and the sunset. However, the young man didn't respond. Hermione suppressed a flash of annoyance; she didn't like being ignored.  
  
"Excuse me?" She crept closer, raising her voice a little. "Hello?" Abruptly his head shot up and she blinked. "Harry? What on earth are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, her insides giving a small happy jolt. He blinked a couple of times, his green eyes confused. "Shouldn't you be up at the common room?" He seemed to get his bearings because he shrugged.  
  
"I couldn't concentrate there. Ron was getting . . ." He trailed off as he saw storm clouds gather around Hermione. "Well, people were starting to come back and I just couldn't work in quiet any longer." He said before opening one of his books and pulling his quill and parchment out of his bag. Hermione moved to sit beside him to see what he was working on.  
  
"I should've known." Harry looked at her quizzically. "Potions." He nodded with a small smile.  
  
"This is the third time I've tried to start this assignment. First it was Seamus and Dean, and then it was Ron . . . Maybe it's jinxed or something. I can't start it without being interrupted." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Then before you try and start again, let me ask you something." She put down her book and he turned to give her his full attention.  
  
"Sure. What is it?" He asked and she looked at him, her gaze searching his face. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as the silence between them stretched and she sensed him shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Hermione? You do have a question for me, don't you?"  
  
"What's been bothering you lately?" She asked softly and watched his eyes widen ever so slightly. "I know you think you can hide it, but I've watched you slack off more and more with your homework and then there was that talk with Professor McGonagall . . ." A muscle in his cheek twitched, but she pressed on. "You never talk much any more, and then you don't come to Hogsmeade with Ron and me." On impulse, she reached out and laid her hand gently over his. "I know Ron and I haven't been the greatest of friends lately, what with the rough spots in our own relationship, but . . . Harry, that doesn't change anything. We're still best friends, aren't we?" He'd been looking at the table for a while now, his eyes boring into the wood.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose." He muttered.  
  
"Then tell me. What is wrong?" She said gently, but firmly. "I know Ron doesn't notice these things, being the great git that he is, but I want you to know that you can talk to me. I'll always listen, Harry, no matter what." There was another long stretch of silence, broken only by their breathing. Harry finally closed his eyes before tilting his head back and reopening them to stare at the ceiling.  
  
"You know what? I'm a fool." He said softly and Hermione frowned. "I'm one of the biggest fools to ever walk the face of this planet. Me, who thought everything was perfect at last, that nothing could get any better . . . but no. Life is just cruel that way, isn't it? The moment everything is going great, and you're at the highest, it rips everything away. Everything." He whispered bitterly. "Look at me. Everything I do fails. Nothing goes right. People have died because of me, lots of people. People who shouldn't have. And then . . . when I thought I could handle a simple little relationship, that too shatters."  
  
"Cho?" She whispered. "When . . ."  
  
"Right after the Halloween Feast." Things abruptly slid into place for Hermione. It explained everything, all his actions, his sudden distant nature.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us, Harry? That was a stupid thing to do, keeping it to yourself." He didn't respond, and after a moment, Hermione tried again. "Harry? Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"I didn't want to bother you, I suppose. Maybe I thought you'd find out sooner or later, or something, seeing as how news travels so fast." He shook his head. "Besides, you and Ron were fighting again. I didn't want to give you yet another thing to worry about, and Ron wouldn't have listened if I'd tried him. He was too busy going on about you."  
  
"Now you listen here, Harry Potter." She said, adopting a stern voice. "I am one of your best friends, and I have been so since our first year here. I'd think after six years our friendship would count a little more to you." She could see a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "If you ever think that I won't listen to you, then you need to go bang your head against a wall or something because that's not true." He finally smiled slightly, but Hermione could see a faint sheen to his eyes. He looked down at the table before removing his glasses and began to rub at his eyes furiously.  
  
"Pathetic, isn't it?" He muttered, his voice cracking a little. "Not once have I cried. Not one single time since coming here, even with all that has happened. And now look at me. Some stupid girl makes me lose it." He stood up and turned away from Hermione, who did the only thing that came to mind. She stood up as well and forced him to face her before enfolding him in a hug.  
  
She could sense him jerk in surprise as she wrapped her arms around him, but soon he was clinging to her as though she was the only thing holding him to the face of the earth, his face buried in her shoulder and muffled sobs wracking his body. She ran her fingers through his hair while absently whispering soothing words. She could feel torrents of sorrow course through him as she held him. It was as though every single sad emotion he'd been holding back over the years had come flooding out in one giant deluge.  
  
His sobs finally seemed to quiet, and abruptly, he pushed her away. Hermione frowned at him as he swiped at his red eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He said softly. "If anyone saw, there'd be even more rumors and Ron . . ." Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, just forget him for a moment. All that matters right now is whether or not you're feeling better. I don't care about rumors, I care about you." She looked at him intently. "I know it's hard to break up with someone, Harry. You feel like you're never going to be the same without that person, but trust me, you will be. And you'll be stronger because of it." She reached up and wiped away tears from his cheeks. "Don't give Cho a second thought. You're not the fool, Harry. She is for passing up such a wonderful opportunity. I know about a million girls who would go out with you in a heartbeat." He finally smiled, a real, honest smile, as she handed him back his glasses.  
  
"Thanks." He said softly. "This really helped, Hermione. It helped a lot." She reached up and brushed some hair out of his face and smiled up at him.  
  
"What else are friends for, Harry? Any time something is bothering you, don't you dare hesitate in coming to me. I will listen as best I can, given the situation, but I don't want you shunting your feelings aside just because it isn't the time to talk about them." He gave her another smile and her insides gave a little flutter. Hermione blinked inwardly and did her best to suppress the feeling. "So is anything else bothering you?"  
  
"Now that you mention it . . ." Harry looked over at his pile of books and Hermione fixed him with a stern look.  
  
"You know me better than that, Harry. I most certainly will not do your homework, no matter how far you're behind." He gave a small sigh at her words before taking his seat.  
  
"It was worth a shot, wasn't it?" He said with an impish grin, one that made Hermione's insides do a small flip.  
  
_Lord, what is wrong with me?_ Hermione thought with a faint tremor of fear. She already had a boyfriend. She couldn't be falling for Harry. She just couldn't be. He was her best friend, one whom she'd admired since first year, but she most certainly wasn't going to _fall_ for him. It would just make things even more complicated than they needed to be.  
  
_I won't fall for him, even if I have to squash the feeling out of me._ She thought, her face set in determination.  
  
"Hermione?" She blinked; Harry was staring at her with concern. "Is there a reason why you're just standing behind me silently?" She plastered a smile she hoped didn't look too fake on her face before shaking her head.  
  
"No, I just got caught up in something. I'm fine." She took her seat beside him and opened her book. "I'll let you work in silence, okay? And don't be afraid to ask me anything if you need to." He gave her another smile and another happy jolt went through her.  
  
"Thanks, Hermione. You're a lifesaver, you know that?" He said warmly before returning to his homework. Hermione watched him for a moment, her eyes greedily taking in his features. His strong jaw, his pale lips pressed together in concentration, his thick but sculpted eyebrows knitted as he worked, and his emerald eyes reading silently. She could've sat all day, her chin in her hands, and watched him work. He was fascinating, even the way his hands moved as he wrote was worth her interest.  
  
_Get a grip!_ Her mind yelled and she tore her eyes from their feast to begin reading. _Hermione, you've promised yourself not to fall for him. And you aren't about to be doing just that_. She told herself firmly but a small voice inside piped up.  
  
"Ah yes." It seemed to say. "The handsome Harry Potter . . . it's what you want, isn't it? You know you've wanted to be his for a while now." She shook her head. "Oh, come on. Admit it." She shook her head again.  
  
_I can't be falling for him. Not when I have Ron. That would just be sick!_ She couldn't be falling for Harry, it just wasn't possible. She wouldn't, she couldn't, there was no way in hell. _But still . . ._  
  
*~*~*  
  
Woo! First part is re done. I'm splitting it up into ten page parts, like I should've done in the first place. Hope this doesn't take me forever. . . see you next time! -pottergal  
  
  



	2. Only Talking, Chapter Two

  
  
Here's more of the story. I really hope that this makes it easier for all you people out there to read it, and plus it gives me time to screw around with my HTML skills! (or lack there of, but that's beside the point.)  
  
HP so doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the genius JK Rowling and WB and whoever else is in on it. I'm just a poor student with no claim to it whatsoever.  
  
*~*~*  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
_Only Talking_:  
  
_Chapter Two_  
  
By: pottergal  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
*~*~*  
  
A few weeks passed and Harry found himself marveling at how different things had become after his talk with Hermione. He couldn't quite explain the feeling of relief that had floated about him after his talk with her; it felt like every single thing that had been pressing down upon him had been wiped away, leaving a clean slate. He could finally look at Cho without flinching, and deep down he was pleased to see that she couldn't do the same for him. He caught up on all, well, most of his assignments and classes didn't seem to be as difficult as they had been. But that also had to do with Ron and Hermione. Maybe she had talked to Ron, but the both of them seemed to take a more active interest in his well being. Classes became more like they had been back before the two of them had gotten together, and though he tried, Harry couldn't keep himself from feeling happy.  
  
December came with its biting cold and Quidditch practice became true murder. Harry would return to the warmth of the common room with relief, and nine times out of ten, Hermione or Ron would bound towards him and drag him into a game of some sort. Mostly, it was Hermione.  
  
That was another thing Harry couldn't quiet explain. Ever since their talk, Hermione had become . . . closer, maybe? She seemed to be making a point to talk to him alone and ask him if everything was all right. Though she always did it once a day, it never got old or exasperating. In fact, it made him happy to give her a warm smile and say, no, but thanks for caring every single time she asked. She also seemed to be making sure they'd have conversations, long conversations, between just the two of them. She'd hunt him down in the library, or something, but she'd always pop up and the two of them would talk for hours about anything that came to mind. Sometimes Hermione would get Ron to join them, but the conversations they had then weren't quite as fun. All that seemed to happen then was a little argument between the two of them.  
  
He'd finally asked her if Ron minded these conversations. She wasn't spending time with him, wouldn't he be angry or something? Hermione had rolled her eyes at that, and Harry had frowned slightly.  
  
"I don't want him thinking that . . . well . . ." He trailed off uncomfortably and Hermione gave him one of her beautiful smiles.  
  
"That you're what? Stealing me away?" She shook her head slightly as he nodded in embarrassment. "Come off it, Harry. I come down here to do my homework, and Ron knows that. As if we'd start making out in the library or something." Harry had to laugh at that. "No, he trusts me, and he trusts you. I told him that occasionally I'll go to talk to you, and he understands. I think he feels bad because he never realized you'd broken up with Cho."  
  
"Ah." He'd said in response, and that had been the end of that particular conversation. Harry tried his hardest not to feel guilty any longer when Hermione came to talk to him, but he couldn't help it. He really enjoyed their conversations, and he couldn't help but feel that he was taking Hermione away. One day he'd found himself wishing that Hermione wasn't going out with Ron, but he'd stomped it down quickly. The last thing he needed was to make things ten times more complicated then they already were.  
  
"Harry, hey Harry!" He looked up from his Transfiguration homework and smiled as he saw Hermione walking towards him, her bag swinging slightly from the lack of dead weight. She smiled in return and he realized she was holding something else besides books. It looked like a small package of some sort.  
  
"No studying today?" He teased lightly as she sat down beside him and held out the package, her eyes laughing.  
  
"It's from Colin. Remember the first snow last weekend?" Harry nodded with a smile. "Well, he took a bunch of photos without us knowing, and here's the whole developed role. He gave it to us as a present." Harry opened the package curiously to find photograph after photograph of Seamus, Dean, Ron, Hermione, and himself all playing in the snow.  
  
"I don't believe it." He said softly as he watched Ron chuck snowballs at Dean and Seamus, who couldn't seem to keep up with him. The snowball fights with his older brothers had paid off; Ron couldn't be matched when it came to making and throwing the balls of snow in record time. "I remember this. Ouch, Seamus just got pegged in the face." He winced as Hermione laughed.  
  
"Keep going, it gets better." He gave her a quizzical look, but began to go through the set. There were several more photos of the snowball fight, and then it shifted over to Hermione. She was slightly behind Ron and was stealthily making a few snowballs. Just as she picked up one to throw it at her boyfriend, Harry saw his photo self sneak up behind her and shove a snowball down her shirt.  
  
"He actually got a picture of that?" He asked, astounded. The next photo was of Hermione jumping up and down, squealing her head off. The snowball fight had stopped as the three boys stared at her. Harry's photo self had a hand clamped over his mouth as he shook with laughter.  
  
"Keep going. It gets even better." Harry flipped through a few more of Hermione struggling to get the snow out from down her shirt and then he came to the ones where she got her revenge. Hermione had wheeled around and was positively spitting with rage. Harry watched the photo as she got her wand out and done something to the snow so that clumps of it would form into compact balls and hurl themselves at Harry. His photo self was now running for dear life, the snow around him rising up steadily. Ron and the others were dying of laughter.  
  
"Leave it to Colin to get a photo like this." He said with a small shake of his head. "I never thought I'd look this funny running from your enchanted snowballs." Hermione laughed.  
  
"Wasn't that a great day though? You finally looked like you were having some fun." She beamed at him. "I'm glad you've gotten over Cho. You needed to move on, Harry."  
  
"Yeah, well, I have you to thank for that." He said as he put the photographs back into their package. "If you hadn't stepped in when you did, who knows what might've happened to me." He gave her a broad smile. "I would've been lost . . . among other things." Hermione looked away quickly and Harry noticed a pink tinge to her cheeks.  
  
"So . . . um . . . have you . . ." She coughed slightly. "Have you heard from Sirius?" She said, finally finding a subject. "I hope he's all right. It doesn't seem like you've had much news from him lately."  
  
"I haven't. What with the things that are going on, I'm not all that surprised. It takes several weeks for Hedwig just to get to him." Hermione nodded silently and opened her mouth to ask something, but Harry already knew what it was going to be. "And yes, I did tell him about Cho. I have yet to receive an answer."  
  
"I hope he's all right." She said and Harry nodded in silent agreement. "So what are you working on now?" She peered down at his homework before cocking an eyebrow. "Transfiguration already? Even I haven't done that one yet."  
  
"I have Quidditch practice in a little while and I wanted to get a bit of a head start. That way I won't feel so overwhelmed, you know?" Hermione gave him a look of surprise.  
  
"Who would've thought. Harry Potter thinking ahead for once." Her mouth quirked in a small smile as he threw her a look. "You know I'm kidding. I think it's a wonderful thing that you're starting to take your work seriously."  
  
"Well, it was either that or get in some serious trouble with McGonagall." He said as he picked up his quill. "She told me if I didn't get my act together, she was going to have to take action. And from the things she was . . . ah, alluding to, I didn't want to give her the chance." Hermione smiled and his insides gave an involuntary flutter. He looked down at his parchment quickly to hide the sudden unease he felt.  
  
"Harry? Is something wrong?" She touched his arm lightly and he looked up at her without thinking. That was a mistake, as he was about to realize.  
  
Brilliant emerald met intense cinnamon brown and locked in a deep stare. Harry could see thousands of emotions swirling around in her eyes and was entranced. Never before, he felt, had he seen such an interesting shade of brown. It captivated him, swallowed him, made him gape in wonder at the sheer depth of them. He felt for certain that he could've spent eternity staring into the vastness of her eyes.  
  
"Har . . . Harry?" Her voice, trembling slightly, broke him from his thoughts. He didn't stop looking at her, however, but he suddenly was conscious of how nervous his stare was making her. "Wha . . . what is it?" He reached up slightly and he heard her draw a sharp breath.  
  
"Hold still. You've got something in your hair." He said softly and plucked an imaginary piece of lint from her golden brown locks, slightly amazed by himself. He . . . he couldn't be, could he? He wasn't . . . falling for her, was he? One of his best friends . . .  
  
It was a little over a month since his break up with Cho, and certainly that wasn't long enough before he could start liking someone. And even then, it couldn't be Hermione. It just couldn't be. But here he sat, his eyes locked on her face, speedily taking in features he'd never bothered to notice before. The way her hair curled gently, her eyes staring deeply into his own, her lips poised to voice an unsounded word, her quiet breathing, her slender hands, her composure, her presence, even her faint smell of some flower . . . all was distinctly her and no one else. And he found part of himself wanting it.  
  
"Harry?" Her voice was calmer this time, though perhaps she was forcing it to be such. "Did you get it off?" He blinked and finally tore his gaze from her face, breaking the spell that had them locked to eachother. He slowly lowered his hand and pretended to flick something away.  
  
"There you go."  
  
"Thanks." She said with a smile, though he could still feel the slightly rigid atmosphere he had caused. After a moment, she reached down and got out a book from her bag. "I'll leave you to your homework, all right?" She opened her book, but before she could begin reading, there was a rather quiet thud from one of the rows hidden in shadow before them. Both of their heads snapped to where it had emitted from and Hermione tensed, her hands tightening around the book.  
  
"What was that?" Harry asked as he stood slowly, his brow furrowed in a small frown. Hermione shook her head, her eyes still focused on the place where the noise had come from.  
  
"I have no idea." The tremor was back in her voice, but Harry didn't stop to ask her about it. Acting on instinct, he pulled out his wand and started for the darkened row.  
  
"_Lumos_." He muttered and a tiny light emitted from the end of his wand, illuminating the row. Harry frowned at the sight that met him. Several dozen books had been knocked off their shelves and were sitting in a rather large heap on the floor. He shook his head slightly.  
  
"What is it? Is someone there?" Hermione called.  
  
"No. But someone did knock a bunch of books over." He pointed his wand at the pile. "_Mobilarbus!_" He said and promptly the books flew back to their places. He looked around for any sign of the person who had knocked them over in the first place, but it was clear they'd made themselves scarce. A nasty sinking feeling filled Harry then; what if who ever it was had seen them? He didn't want to think about the rumors that would start, or how angry Ron would be . . .  
  
"Harry?" He turned to face Hermione and he grimaced slightly.  
  
"I think we should head up to the common room. I get the feeling that someone was spying on us." He watched her cheek give a nervous little twitch and she stood.  
  
"Why should we leave? We weren't doing anything wrong. We were only talking." She said, her voice sounding slightly unnatural, as though she was trying to convince herself. "There's nothing wrong with talking. I don't see what the fuss is for. We were only talking."  
  
_Only talking?_ Harry wondered as he moved to pick up his things. It certainly seemed to him that perhaps there'd been a little bit more than just talking going on, if staring at eachother counted for anything. That lead him down a different train of thought, like what had caused him to be so captivated with her in the first place, or if her nervousness truly stemmed from the idea of being spied on . . . perhaps, perhaps she'd felt it too, that strange sensation, drawing him to her . . .  
  
"I ruined it, didn't I." He said after a moment as he slung his bag over his shoulder and picked up the rest of his books. He could sense Hermione's confusion as she looked at him. "Just when we were starting to become better friends, I made it . . . awkward." Her eyes searched him silently and after a long pause, she shook her head.  
  
"Things are no different than they were before, Harry." She said, and Harry thought he heard a trace of bitterness to her voice. "Now come on. You're the one who wanted to go back up to the common room, so we might as well do just that."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Hermione walked beside Harry quietly as they headed up the many staircases back to the common room. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and Hermione felt it best not to pester him with the multitude of questions she felt like asking. For one, who did he think was spying on them? And did he really think it could be that bad? All they'd done is talk a little. They hadn't hugged, they hadn't kissed, nothing. But there had been that . . . that . . . whatever it was. He'd looked up at her and suddenly . . . suddenly she'd been drowning in emerald green. Pure deep emerald green that sparkled up at her and had drawn her steadily in.  
  
_I . . . I couldn't move._ She'd wanted to remain forever, just looking into his eyes, but the one part of her that was mightily alarmed had taken over and had forced her back to earth. Harry was her _friend._ One just didn't go staring into the eyes of their friend, especially when they had a significant other.  
  
"Ah yes." The voice was back, piping along quietly and slowly filling her with doubt and dread. "But you never felt that with Ron, did you? You've never really felt much for him, besides cordial friendship, have you?" She frowned and tried her best to ignore the nagging suspicions that were suddenly popping up within her. "Admit it already! You've felt something rather deep for Harry since the moment you met him."  
  
"All right already!" She hissed and quickly plastered a smile on her face as Harry gave her a questioning look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud. It sort of slipped." An endearing smile quirked the edges of his lips and he shook his head slightly.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder for your sanity, Hermione. Having conversations with yourself?" He said as they drew near the portrait of the Fat Lady and she gave him a mock scowl.  
  
"Ha, ha." She said and turned to the portrait. "Castle Andromeda." It swung open and the two walked into the common room. Hermione spotted Ron sitting at one of the tables, and he smiled warmly as he saw them. She drew a deep breath of relief. Perhaps it had all been her imagination, the person running straight to Ron and telling him all sorts of untrue things about what went on between her and Harry . . .  
  
"There you two are. Harry, did Hermione show you the pictures?" Ron asked as the two of them took seats at the table as well, Harry sitting across from Ron and Hermione sitting on the end. "I especially love the one where her snowballs are chasing after you. The expression on your face is priceless." Ron reached over and took her hand, giving her another warm smile. "That'll teach him to mess with you, won't it." He squeezed her hand gently and she smiled in return.  
  
"Here you are, I figured you'd want them back." Harry said, and Ron let go of her hand to take the package from him. "They're pretty funny. The ones of your fight with Seamus and Dean are amusing. You'd think they'd have the advantage; after all, they did have two people." Ron smirked slightly as he opened the package and began to flip through them.  
  
"Obviously they haven't been in many Weasley snow fights. They'd learn to defend themselves pretty quick then, wouldn't they." Ron and Harry laughed and Hermione smiled. Yes, that's it. She'd been imagining things; nothing had changed. Ron was still the same person, and seeing as he wasn't breathing fire in anger, no one had told him anything.  
  
"What have you got there, Ron?" Neville had popped up beside them and he was looking down at the photos curiously. "Oh wow, let me guess. Colin took these, didn't he." Ron nodded as Neville began to look through the ones Ron had put aside. "Ouch, remind me never to get in a snow ball fight with you. You've clobbered Seamus and Dean." Ron grinned in a pleased sort of way and Hermione shook her head inwardly. Of course he'd be happy about that.  
  
"I see Colin showed you the photos." They looked up as Dean and Seamus appeared on either side of Neville. "They're neat, aren't they? Though I doubt Seamus likes to have a record of his trouncing. And here he thought he was a decent fighter." Seamus scowled darkly at Dean, who was grinning. "What'd you think of them, Hermione? There seem to be several rather unflattering pictures of you dancing around like a maniac."  
  
"I'd like to see your reaction if I dumped snow down your shirt." She quipped with a wry twist to her mouth. "You'd probably squeal even more loudly than I did." Everyone laughed but Dean, who rolled his eyes. Ron gave her hand another friendly little pat.  
  
"I see you two have made up." Seamus said, his eyes flicking from Ron to Hermione.  
  
"Oh, come on, Seamus. You know they barely stay mad at eachother for long. It doesn't take but a few hours before one breaks down and apologizes." Dean said, his eyes locked on Hermione. She frowned inwardly at his stare, managing to keep a small smile plastered on her face. As the light banter continued, she watched Dean continue to look at her and she shifted uncomfortably. Had he been the one . . .?  
  
After a while she looked back at him, and sure enough, he was still looking. She finally did frown at him, and his gaze flicked to Harry, who was grinning with Ron and the others about something or another. It then flicked back to Hermione, giving her a small start of fear. What was he . . .?  
  
"Lavender! Lavender, where are you?" Abruptly, the portrait to the common room burst open, and Parvati Patil came rushing in, her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavy. "Oh Lavender, you won't believe what I've just heard!" She yelled as the portrait shut slowly behind her.  
  
"What is it? Why are you shouting?" Lavender Brown stood from one of the arm chairs and frowned deeply at Parvati, who was bent over slightly, her hands resting on her thighs.  
  
"I just heard from a fourth year that - " She stopped abruptly as her gaze met Hermione's. She obviously hadn't realized they'd been there, because she gulped awkwardly, some of the color fading from her face. "Um . . . I'll tell you later, okay? It's . . .it's really nothing important." Lavender gave her an odd look, but didn't press the issue.  
  
"Go on, Parvati. You've got all of us curious now." Seamus spoke up, startling Hermione. "You can't just barge in here with some really interesting news and then not tell anyone. That's cruel." Parvati's mouth opened and closed wordlessly as all faces in the common room turned to hers inquiringly.  
  
"Well . . . this, this fourth year had just come from the library, you see, and . . . ah . . ." She trailed off, clearly trying to think quickly. Her gaze met Hermione's again, and she felt as though her heart had stopped. She clamped her hands together in her lap to keep them from shaking too badly. "As, as she was going to get a book, she saw . . . she saw . . ."  
  
"What'd she see?" Ron asked, his face genuinely interested. Hermione didn't dare look at Harry as she struggled to keep her face as blank as possible. She could feel Dean's eyes though, which weren't helping the massive amount of anxiety that she was feeling. "Come on, Parvati, what'd the fourth year see? I think all of us are old enough to handle it." He said with a smirk, though no one laughed with him.  
  
"Ron! Ron!" The portrait burst open for a second time, and Ginny Weasley flew towards her brother. "Ron, is it true?!" She asked breathlessly and Hermione frowned at her. "People are saying that you've broken up with Hermione!" Everyone stared; Hermione felt her mouth fall open.  
  
"What's this?" He asked after a moment, his eyes wide in shock. "This is the first _I've_ ever heard of it." Hermione met his gaze as it flicked to her, and she stared back, just as surprised.  
  
"So you're still going out then?" Ginny asked in disbelief and her eyes turned on Hermione.  
  
"As far as I know," Hermione said, tearing her gaze from Ron, "we are still a couple. Nothing has happened, Ginny." His little sister frowned slightly in thought. "What would make you think that?" Her cheek twitched slightly, but she remained silent.  
  
"Ginny?" Ron asked, his voice full of suspicion. There was something else in it as well that made Hermione uneasy . . . anger, perhaps? "Ginny, who told you that Hermione and I were no longer going out?"  
  
"I heard this . . . this rumor, you know, and . . ." She trailed off and bit her lip in concentration. "I . . . I assumed that . . . that if it were true, then you . . . you and Hermione weren't still a couple."  
  
"What'd you hear, Ginny?" Harry said gently, finally joining the conversation. Ginny's eyes turned to him and she gulped. After a moment, she drew a deep breath and looked at the floor.  
  
"I heard that you and Hermione had been making out in the library." She whispered and shock jolted through every single person present. Hermione finally looked at Harry, who wore the exact same expression of horror and genuine surprise as she did. Her gaze then shifted to Ron, whose mouth hung open and his face had paled. She looked at him pleadingly and shook her head slightly. That wasn't true, she tried to say. Please don't believe it, that wasn't true. It would never be true.  
  
"How . . . how . . ." Ron finally looked at her, stared her directly in the eye. It's not true, she tried saying. I'd never do that, I'd never hurt you like this. "That's impossible, Ginny." He said, finally looking away. "Hermione and Harry wouldn't do something like that." But there was a note in his voice . . .  
  
"I know." Ginny said. "But with the amount of fights the two of you had been getting into lately, I couldn't help but wonder." Hermione glanced over at Parvati as Ginny continued to talk and she knew in an instant that this was the rumor Parvati had been dying to tell Lavender. It was common knowledge between Lavender, Parvati, and herself that Lavender had a bit of a crush on Ron, though she'd never even hint about it around him. The other Gryffindors would tease her to death if it got out from the three of them.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, the people in the common room assumed their previous activities and Ginny headed back to wherever she had been before she'd rushed off to ask Ron. Parvati and Lavender vanished up the staircase to the girl's dormitories and things grew rather quiet. Hermione finally managed to get her hands to stop shaking and she turned her attention back to the conversation that was springing up again at her table. It seemed, however, somewhat forced, and the laughter didn't flow as easily as it used to. Hermione glanced at Dean and wasn't at all surprised to find him looking at her.  
  
"So tell us. What do you do in the library then, if you're not kissing?" Dean finally asked and everyone at the table instantly fell silent. Neville and Seamus looked between Harry and Hermione with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety, while Ron sort of glared. The pile of Colin's pictures lay forgotten on the table infront of him.  
  
"We talk." Hermione said simply and Dean raised his eyebrows. A flash of indignation raced through her then. "Don't give me that look. Honestly, people assume the worst when two_ friends_ meet alone." She glared at everyone save Ron and Harry. "I would think you'd have a little more faith in us at least. I'm not about to go cheating on Ron and Harry's not about to try anything." She said firmly and looked at Ron, who gave her a wane little smile.  
  
"You do believe us, Ron?" Harry said, his eyes focused on his friend. "Don't you?" He then shifted his gaze to Hermione, who met it steadily. "She's your girlfriend. Why would I even think about doing anything that would jeopardize that? Your happiness means more than the world to me." Hermione felt a little jolt go through her; Harry hadn't taken his eyes off of her for a moment, and they seemed to have darkened slightly to a more forest green with . . . sorrow? Bitterness? Perhaps it was a mixture of both . . .  
  
"Ron?" She said, tearing her gaze from Harry. "Ron, you do believe what we've said?" He was looking at the table now, pushing the pictures around aimlessly. It seemed she'd been right, the note in his voice, the way he'd spoken to Ginny . . . He didn't fully believe them.  
  
"I . . ." Suddenly he blinked and stopped shifting the photos around. Hermione watched his eyes widen as he picked up a picture and frowned as his expression darkened. He looked up at them, his eyes holding restrained anger, and he slowly shook his head. Hermione's gut plummeted. "Look at this." He said quietly, clearly struggling to hold himself back. He flicked the photo across the table and Hermione's jaw dropped when she saw it.  
  
"You . . . you can't be serious . . ." It was a picture of her and Harry, though it certainly was much less worse than she'd been expecting. It was from the snowball fight, right after she'd stopped jinxing snow to smack him. He'd sat down on one of the benches and begged for her mercy, which she'd granted with a small giggle. Then they'd sat beside eachother and watched Ron proceed to cream Dean and Seamus. At least, that's what they'd done for real. In the photo, Hermione had her head on Harry's shoulder, and both of them were blushing slightly.  
  
"How can I believe that you _haven't_ been making out in the library after I see something like that?" Hermione looked up at Ron, whose face had gone from white to a vivid red and he glowered at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She'd been rendered speechless by the shock. "I can't believe it. It's disgusting, you know? Here I am, and I thought I could trust you. You told me, 'Oh, don't worry so much Ron! Harry is our friend. We wouldn't dream of doing anything.' And like a great moron, I believed you." He shook his head, his angry gaze not leaving Hermione. "I believed you!"  
  
"And you should continue to do so! Not once have I wavered, even with all the fights and rough spots we've had. Even after I caught you ogling all those girls in Diagon Alley! I'm sure you wouldn't have let me off so easily if you'd caught me staring at a group of guys!" The block hindering her speech vanished in the face of the rage she now felt. "How dare you accuse me of something like this, how dare you!"  
  
"Hermione's right, Ron. She's been faithful to you, even when you really haven't." Ron turned his glower to Harry, who met his fury head on.  
  
"Stay out of this, Harry. We can discuss this later." Harry shook his head.  
  
"Supposedly I'm as much a part of this as she is, aren't I? If you accuse her of cheating, then you accuse me of trying to steal her away." He said firmly and Hermione had to be amazed at how he well was keeping his cool. "Ron, you should know better. You know both of us well enough to realize we would never do something like that."  
  
"Oh, take her side! You always do!" Ron shouted and got to his feet quickly, knocking his chair over with a loud bang. "And fine then! I tell you that you're a dirty thief, who has nothing better to do all day then hit on my girlfriend! Guess you were jealous, weren't you? Couldn't have your friends' relationship last ten times longer than your own!" He'd clearly hit a nerve; Hermione watched Harry's steady gaze darken even more. She'd rarely seen this expression on him; it was one he wore when he was truly angry, and it scared her.  
  
"Ron, how could you?" She said, trying to take some of the heat off Harry. She wasn't quite sure what might happen.  
  
"Don't give me that, you know it's true! And you're just as bad!" He rounded on her. "Rita Skeeter was right, you are a two timing - " He called her something that made everyone draw a sharp intake of breath and made Hermione shoot to her feet. "I should've known better to ask you out, especially after reading about how you'd played Krum for all he was worth! Relationships mean absolutely nothing to you, do they?" Anger kept welling and welling inside Hermione, growing to far greater heights than it had ever done during any of their previous fights. "Fine then, I know what you want! Let's just break up, end it here and now! You clearly don't need me anymore, especially when you've gotten an even more famous fiddle to play!" He gestured to Harry and there was a long pause filled with stunned silence.  
  
Hermione looked up at Ron, at his flushed, furious face, and glared. Then she slapped him, as hard as she possibly could.  
  
"_How dare you._" Hermione growled, enunciating every word and ignoring the open-mouthed stares she was getting. "_How dare you!_" She said more loudly and raised her other hand. "_HOW DARE YOU!_" She practically shrieked, but before she could slap him a second time, a pair of hands restrained her. She struggled against them, but to no avail. She wasn't quite sure what she would've done had she gotten free; her mind was so stunned at the sheer outrage, she couldn't even think up a proper insult.  
  
"Hermione, stop!" It was Neville and Seamus who had restrained her, both of whom looked pale and shocked. "Calm down, Hermione!" It was then she realized what was happening. Every glass in the room had shattered, including the windows, several chairs had been destroyed, and the other students in the room had backed up against the wall, their eyes wide with fear. Hermione drew several deep breaths before jerking out of their grip.  
  
"Are you all right now, Hermione?" Neville asked timidly and she nodded slowly before daring to address Ron.  
  
"Now you listen to me. I don't ever want to catch you near me again, you understand? This is the final straw, we are through." Her voice was quiet, but she could see that it was making him shiver slightly. "Good-bye, Ron Weasley, and good riddance." And with that, she turned on her heel and marched up to her room.  
  
Once she was gone, Harry stood slowly and taking out his wand, preceded to fix everything in the room. Soon Seamus and Dean were helping him silently, while Neville went about straightening things. The other students who had taken refuge against the wall ventured forth into the room cautiously, but none resumed their work. When the clean up job was complete, Harry put his wand away and gathered all his things. His gaze finally met Ron's, who was muttering something he couldn't quite hear.  
  
"I hope you're happy." Harry said and Ron glowered.  
  
"Are you going to start in on me too? Careful, I don't think this room can stand being destroyed a second time." He said with a small sneer. "And I won't clean up after you either."  
  
"Oh shut up, Ron." He blinked at Dean, who was shaking his head. "You know how much of an ass you made yourself today? Frankly, I'm appalled. You know Hermione and Harry are nothing like what you said."  
  
"Yeah. What's with the over-reacting?" Seamus added. "And Hermione would never cheat on you with anyone. She's just too dedicated like that." Dean and Seamus then gathered their things and brushed past Ron to head up to their dorm. Ron glanced at Neville, who was shaking his head.  
  
"Hermione's nothing like that, Ron. How could you be so mean? How could you upset her like that?" Neville then followed Dean and Seamus, leaving just Harry and Ron, who looked like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. Their gazes met, but Harry didn't let him say anything to justify what he had done. He brushed past him without so much as another glance and went to get ready for Quidditch practice.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Yey! Next part is done. Don't ya love it, I know I do! well, read and review, and so forth, and I hope splitting it up makes it easier for people to read! Thanks! -pottergal  
  
  



	3. Only Talking, Chapter Three

  
  
I know, I know, it's shorter than the last few parts, but hey. It's still a pretty good fic, isn't it? (Crosses fingers and hopes everyone agrees) Well, here's chapter three. Hope those of you who've already read it are still enjoying it as much as you did then -pottergal  
  
HP so doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the genius JK Rowling and WB and whoever else is in on it. I'm just a poor student with no claim to it whatsoever.  
  
*~*~*  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
_Only Talking_:  
  
_Chapter Two_  
  
By: pottergal  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
*~*~*  
  
A few weeks passed after the fight, so that it was nearly time for Christmas break. Much to Harry's surprise, he learned that Ron had signed up to stay behind during the holidays, but he didn't dwell on it much. Between homework, school, and Quidditch practice, he had little time for anything, let alone trying to learn the comings and goings of a person he wasn't speaking to.  
  
The evening after the fight, Hermione had received a stern talking-to from Professor McGonagall and a detention for very nearly destroying the common room, but at least people were still talking to her. Ron had definitely come off much worse from their fight; every single one of the Gryffindors seemed to be ignoring him. No one spoke to him during meals, no one sat beside him during classes, and no one helped him with his homework. When he came up to the dorm to turn in, all conversations would stop and then continue on without bothering to include him.  
  
This treatment had started the day after the fight; everyone seemed horrified and disgusted that Ron could possibly make Hermione angry enough to lose control. They were downright friendly to her and Harry, who were seen as martyrs of sorts of some terrible deed. Part of Harry was slightly angered by their treatment of Ron, but he couldn't bring himself to forgive him. The things he said were just too malicious and hurtful. Harry still felt a stab of anger when he remembered what Ron had called Hermione; as if she was anything like that in the first place! He had to admit, Ron could sometimes be one of the biggest morons on the planet.  
  
This treatment had mystified some of their teachers as well. Professor McGonagall had blinked a little in confusion when she'd noticed that Hermione was sitting up beside Lavender and Parvati, both of whom had taken her side immediately and who, Harry felt, were primarily responsible for the treatment they were receiving.  
  
"Miss Granger? May I ask why you aren't sitting in your customary seat today?" Professor McGonagall had asked the first time it had happened.  
  
"Because I felt like sitting here today, Professor. Is that all right?" Hermione replied before returning to copying down the beginning notes for their lesson. McGonagall had nodded and then she noticed Harry wasn't sitting beside Ron. She'd very nearly done a double take at that before fixing him with a narrowed stare. He'd held it for a few moments before returning to his note taking. He'd elected to sit beside Neville, which seemed to be thoroughly confusing to McGonagall.  
  
"Mr. Potter . . ." She'd begun before glancing at Ron, who had his eyes focused intently on his notes. Her lips had pressed together as she suddenly understood; their moving had to do with the fact that they weren't getting along at the moment. She'd sighed slightly, and hadn't questioned their new seats since.   
  
The two past weeks hadn't been so bad, for Harry, anyway, who woke up slightly late the last school day before vacation. He yawned and got dressed quickly. He almost chewed Ron out for not waking him up before he remembered that he wasn't speaking to Ron. He stifled another yawn before heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
  
Once reaching the Gryffindor table, he sat down between Hermione and Dean and gave them both small smiles. Dean and Seamus were engaged in a heated debate with Parvati and Lavender, which seemed to be about everybody's favorite class, Divination. Undoubtedly, Lavender and Parvati would be defending the class and their favorite teacher, Professor Trelawney, and Dean and Seamus were clearly arguing about what a load of bull the class was. Harry privately agreed with Dean, who had begun pointing out that Harry was, in fact, very much alive even after all her predictions. However, he wasn't about to voice his opinions when Lavender and Parvati looked particularly murderous.  
  
"What about her other predictions, then? Hm? They were right on the money, the ones about Hermione leaving the class and so forth." Lavender's eyes flashed and Dean shook his head. "I'm telling you, she is a true Seer!" Harry shook his head slightly before tuning out the discussion and helping himself to some eggs and toast.  
  
"Good morning, Hermione." He said and she looked up with a wane smile. "So . . ." He began before she could go back to the book she was reading. "How've you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." He said before starting in on his breakfast. She placed a marker in the book and sat it down so she could talk.  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry. I think I've been avoiding everyone for a while now. I just couldn't bear having another person tell me how much they sympathized with me over this whole thing." He nodded as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. "Plus . . . it's been difficult." She said softly. "Part of me can't believe that it's over, but . . . another part of me is glad." Her gaze met his and he froze. The feeling was back, the one that locked their eyes together and made him stare like an idiot. Her eyes were as interesting as ever, but now . . . now they seemed to hold something indescribable. She seemed to be trying to tell him something, with her eyes peering deep into his own.  
  
"That's . . .ah, good . . ." Harry said, as he tried his hardest to tear his gaze from Hermione. He couldn't stare at her like that, not here, not now, and especially not after what had happened. "I'm glad, that you're . . . well . . . you're glad." He winced; it seemed his brain had turned off. Hermione blinked before giggling a little, finally breaking the spell between them. "So what do we have today?" He said in an attempt to shift the conversation in a different direction.  
  
"Herbology, History of Magic, and then we have Potions, which is our last class." She said matter-of-fact-ly, and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "Tonight Professor Flitwick asked me to help him with the Christmas decorations for the Grand Hall. Do you want to help as well? We could always use a few more hands."  
  
"Wouldn't Parvati or Lavender be more useful? I'm sure they've got better taste in decorating than I do; after all, they're girls." He said before taking a bite of his toast. Hermione fixed him with a stare and he grimaced. "But if you really need me, I suppose I will."  
  
"Good. It'll give us a chance to catch up with eachother, seeing as how I haven't had time to speak with you since before . . ." She trailed off as her gaze focused on something slightly behind Harry. He turned to see what she was looking at, and sighed as he saw Ron standing at the entrance to the Great Hall. The entire Gryffindor table had fell silent for a moment, all eyes watching Ron, before they turned back to their breakfast, the conversations re-starting. "I'm going to go, Harry. I'll see you in class, all right?" She gathered her books before marching out of the hall. She didn't look once at Ron as she passed him, though his gaze did follow her. He looked about to say something, but he seemed to think better of it and shut his mouth. Harry turned to devouring his breakfast before standing up and pushing in his chair.  
  
"I have to go get my books for class. I'll see you later, all right?" He nodded at Dean and Seamus, who waved at him slightly before continuing their discussion with Parvati and Lavender. He brushed past Ron without a word and started back towards the Gryffindor common room. He was about halfway there, when the sound of his name being called made him stop mid-staircase.  
  
"Yes?" He turned slowly to look coolly down at Ron, who was standing at the base of the stairs, one of his hands clutching the banister. "What do you want? I have to get my books, and I don't want to be late." Ron licked his lips slightly before grimacing.  
  
"Can we go back to speaking again? This is starting to drive me crazy." Harry looked him up and down.  
  
"We're talking now, aren't we?" Ron frowned a little and Harry gave a small sigh of impatience. "Look, I really need to get back up to the dorm. Is that all you wanted?"  
  
"So we're friends again?"  
  
"That all depends." Ron's frown deepened. "Shouldn't you be apologizing? To both me _and_ Hermione?" He asked pointedly and Ron's expression darkened.  
  
"Why does it always come back to her?" Abruptly he threw up his hands in frustration. "That's all everybody says to me. 'Shouldn't you be apologizing for what you've done? Don't you have any shame?'" Ron said in a high, mocking voice. "Both of you are so pig headed! I don't know why I even bother; it's clear you started this whole thing so you could have a chance at her without anybody saying anything!" Harry felt his fists clench.  
  
"You know sometimes I wish I could slug you and make you see what an idiot you are." He said before turning on his heel and marching up to the common room, his semi-good mood completely ruined. The anger that had been fading for a while now was back in full, making his insides writhe with outrage. Once he got his things for class, his anger was so great that he kept heading the wrong way, something he hadn't done since his first year. Consequently he was late to Herbology by quite a bit, and when he told Professor Sprout why, she gave him an odd look.  
  
"Lost? But you're a sixth year. Surely you must know the castle well enough by now not to get _that_ hopelessly lost, Potter." He muttered something about being to angry to see where he was going, but thankfully Professor Sprout didn't hear and told him to take his seat.  
  
"What kept you?" Hermione hissed as he sat down beside her. "You didn't really get lost, did you?" He explained all about Ron and how his mind had been too preoccupied to notice where he'd been heading. Luckily he'd caught himself, though, before he'd opened the door to Potions, which probably would've cost Gryffindor a multitude of points and landed him a detention. "Well, cheer up. We're not doing much in class today; just picking some things for the decorations."  
  
And so Herbology passed without incident, the students picking sprigs of holly and mistletoe. Some Hufflepuffs tried to start a snowball fight, but Professor Sprout had stopped them before anyone had been hit.  
  
It had to be one of the most boring Herbology classes Harry had ever had, though he did admit it gave him time to finally talk to Hermione. He hadn't realized how much he missed having conversations with her until they were gone. True, she didn't know much about Quidditch, but this year she at least seemed willing to learn more about it. In previous years she had merely rolled her eyes as Harry and Ron had talked for hours about different plays they'd seen and were dying to try out. Perhaps being Ron's girlfriend had made her more willing, or something.  
  
After Herbology came the most boring class of them all, History of Magic. The moment Professor Binns opened his mouth and began to drone on and on about the precautions wizards were suddenly forced to take due to the expansion of the Muggle world, and all the new charms that were invented or improved to keep Muggles out of their world, people fell asleep. It went on and on and on until Harry's head felt as though it had been stuffed full of cotton. His chin rested in his hands, though it kept sinking down to the desk and Harry had to jerk himself upright occasionally to keep from drifting off into a deep slumber. Neville was already fast asleep, and Parvati and Lavender were giggling slightly because he was drooling on his book. Dean and Seamus were passing notes it looked like, and even Hermione was drifting. Her quill was moving absently across her parchment, though she'd failed to notice that she hadn't dipped it into any ink. All in all, it was a pretty normal day in class.  
  
Lunch could never come quick enough on days like these, Harry thought as the bell finally rang and they were free until Potions. He dropped his books off at the common room before heading back to the Great Hall for a quick lunch. He tried to talk to Hermione a little, but Seamus started doing an impersonation of Professor Trelawney that lasted most of lunch and was distracting enough that he forgot until the bell rang for their final class and Harry found himself sitting in the Potions classroom.  
  
"Settle down, class, settle down!" Professor Snape barked as he walked into the classroom and everyone fell silent. "Today we are going to be brewing an extremely difficult potion, one that will take you most of next term to perfect. If you do some how manage to get it finally right, you needn't worry too much about your year end exam." He walked to the front of the class and began to write the ingredients they would be needing on the board. "Oh, and Longbottom, I suggest you just watch today. This potion can cause all sorts of problems for those who aren't up to brewing it." Neville turned a brilliant shade of red.  
  
"I wonder what the potion is." Hermione mused quietly as she began to unpack her things. "It seems terribly complex, though not nearly as so as the Polyjuice Potion." Harry gave her a small smile at that.  
  
"Bet it tastes better too." He whispered to her and the potion brewing began. Things were no different than they usually were. Snape swept around the room, making particularly nasty comments about the Gryffindors' potions while praising the Slytherins. He told the class to note how Malfloy's potion had turned a disgusting brown, and Harry rolled his eyes. Six years had passed since he'd started taking this god-forsaken class and Snape still was the same mean old man.  
  
Much to Harry's surprise, the class actually went rather smoothly. Well, as smoothly as one of Snape's classes could go. He managed to chew out Seamus for doing something to his potion, though Harry didn't quite catch what it was. Seamus only lost about twenty points or so, so Harry concluded that it must not have been too bad. If it had, Seamus would be serving a slew of detentions and he would have lost far more points for Gryffindor. Snape also succeeded in making several choice comments about the lack of brown to Harry's potion, but being used to Snape's classes by now, he ignored them.  
  
The time finally came for the class to almost be over, so they began to clean up. Harry was one of the first to wash off his ladles and stirring spoons before hurrying back to put away his ingredients. Snape had said they weren't going to bother testing their potion today, he could assure them that no one had done it well enough to have him test it on some poor creature. It would be a waste of a perfectly good animal, which, to Harry, didn't sound like Professor Snape at all. He hadn't objected to testing Neville's shrinking potion on Trevor, had he?  
  
"Now pay attention, class." Snape said over the dim as people continued to crowd around the water spigot trying to wash off their utensils. So far Harry was the only one who'd succeeded in getting his clean and thus was the only one standing by his potion. "The potion you made today is called the ultimate potion by some, because drinking just a dollop of it gives you enormous physical strength. How long it lasts depends on the last ingredient you add. I want each of you to research the development of this potion and hand in the papers next class meeting." The class groaned collectively; Snape was the only teacher mean enough to give them homework over the holidays.  
  
_I wonder what the proper name for it is._ Harry mused as he looked down at the pale brown potion in his cauldron. _The ultimate potion . . . sounds interesting, but that can't be its real name._ He yawned then before blinking as a slight hissing noise sounded behind him. He frowned as Snape looked up suddenly but turned around to see where the noise was coming from. It was a cauldron, only this one hadn't been removed from the flame. It was frothing wildly, steam and smoke rising from it steadily.  
  
"Potter, I suggest that you- "  
  
_BOOM._ Snape didn't have time to finish his warning because the cauldron exploded. Harry felt himself be flung backwards by the force, something hot stinging his face and hands. He hit something very hard and very solid and everything went black in an instant.  
  
*~*~*  
  
To be continued! I know, I know, crappy cliffhanger. Will Harry be alive? *Begin impending music* you'll just have to wait and find out! But this doesn't exactly work if you've already read it . . . ah well. See you all in chapter four! -pottergal  
  
  



	4. Only Talking, Chapter Four

Hello and welcome to chapter four! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks to the people who've reviewed. It's wonderful to get feedback, and I hope you don't mind my writing style. I have a friend who rips my works apart before I put them up, and she doesn't really like the way I write. She says it takes her too long to get used to. Ah well . . . anyway, I thought I should've split this up into two parts, but I didn't and just finished it. It makes me feel better that way! I have more done when I post, but the story is really short; it's only two chapters. Tell me if you think I should split it up anyway! –pottergal  
  
PS. And all disclaimers from the beginning of the story still apply. I SO do not own HP and the characters in any way shape or form! –pottergal  
  
*~*~*  
  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
_ Only Talking  
Chapter Four  
_ By: pottergal  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
*~*~*  
  
Hermione walked through the nearly deserted halls of Hogwarts castle, the normal presence of books and her bag absent. The holidays had finally started, and school was out until the next year. Instead, she clutched a small bouquet of flowers, ones she'd filched from the greenhouses after making sure they weren't dangerous or that they wouldn't be missed. It had been three days since the accident in the Potions class, and Harry was still out cold. Madam Pomfrey had done her best to get him back into shape, but he hadn't woken up. The nurse had reassured her that he was fine, that he'd suffered worse than this, but Hermione couldn't help feeling worried. She hated to see him like that, laid out as though he were dead. And if it weren't for the fact that the sheet moved up and down slightly with each breath he took, she could've sworn that he was.  
  
The sudden explosion had stunned everyone, knocking most of them from their feet. The worst that had happened to anyone was they'd been splashed by scalding potion, but everyone had fallen silent when they'd seen Harry. The explosion had thrown him through his desk and knocked him up against the wall. He was completely covered with brown goo, and his leg was bent at a slightly odd angle. Blood was trickling from him and there was a large patch of it on the wall where he'd hit it and slid down. Parvati had promptly fainted and most of the girls screamed and a few of the guys looked as though they were about to be sick. Only Hermione and Ron had rushed to Harry's side, both frantic with worry.  
  
"Oh god, oh god, oh god . . ." She remembered whispering over and over as she'd started wiping away the potion from his mangled body. Tears had begun to spill down her cheeks from both dread and from the stinging sensation as her bare flesh touched the potion. "Oh god, Harry, don't be dead. You can't be dead!" She'd tried to move him, her gaze snapping to the rest of the class. "Somebody help him! He'll die if we don't do something!" She'd yelled, half-frenzied and half-hysterical. Snape had taken over then, ordering Ron to pull her off Harry so he could get him up to the hospital wing. Hermione had shrieked and kicked and squirmed, but Ron was too strong for her. He'd held her tightly as Snape whisked Harry off, and she'd been forced to watch.  
  
"Hermione, calm down, everything is going to be fine . . ." Ron had whispered and then she'd started sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
"Hermione?" She blinked as Ron's voice called her back to the present. She was about halfway up a staircase, Ron standing at the top of it. She looked up at him and he stared nervously back. "Are . . . are you going to visit Harry?" He asked, looking at the flowers in her hands. She nodded without a word. "Do you . . . do you mind if I come?" There was a long pause between them, Hermione seriously considering him and Ron shifting from one foot to the other nervously.  
  
"No." She said finally as she finished climbing the stairs. "I could use the company." He gave her a small smile, and she could see the strain in it. "So how are you?" She asked after they'd walked in silence for a while.  
  
"Not bad. Yourself?"  
  
"I've been better." She said simply and they lapsed back into quiet. Ron cleared his throat a couple of times, but he couldn't seem to think of anything to say. "Do you . . . do you think Harry'll be awake when we get there?" She asked after casting around in her head for a topic. Ron shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. He was pretty beaten up when Madam Pomfrey finally got to him. I heard her say it would probably be a while before he finally comes around." She nodded slightly as they reached the infirmary. Ron opened the door for her and she walked in. Madam Pomfrey looked up at them as they entered and Hermione saw that she'd been rubbing some sort of cream on Harry's face.  
  
"It'll help bring him out of it." She said as she noticed Hermione looking and put the cap back on the little tube. She set it down on the table beside Harry's bed before bustling past them, leaving them alone. Hermione took her customary seat after changing the flowers and sat with a small sigh. It looked as though Harry hadn't moved at all. His jet-black hair contrasted sharply with the white pillow and made his face look even paler than it should've been. His cheeks held no color whatsoever and his lips were thin and ashen. Overall, his face had a drawn, sallow look about it and it made Hermione shake her head in sorrow. How could this have happened? What idiot had left his cauldron on the burner after Snape had specifically told them to take it off?  
  
"Harry . . ." She murmured and brushed some stray strands from his eyes that remained shut. She touched his bandaged hand and was surprised to find how cold his fingers were. His skin felt like ice. "He looks dead." She whispered and felt Ron place a hand gently on her shoulder.  
  
"He's been through worse before, Hermione. He'll survive." There was a croakiness to Ron's voice that made her keep her eyes on Harry. "He can't die. What would we do without him?" She snorted a little.  
  
"Since when do you care what happens to him? After the things you said to him, I could've sworn you hated him." She said bitterly and gasped as Ron spun her chair around so she'd face him. He looked her directly in the eye and she gulped. They held a faint trace of tears.  
  
"You know I could never hate him or you. Both of you are my best friends." She stared up at him. "I may have a bit of a temper, yes, and I may lose my head, but that doesn't mean you two stop being my friends. How do you think I feel right now? Especially since the last thing I said to him was an accusation . . ." He trailed off with a grimace. "I wanted to say I was sorry. Having Harry like this made me realize more than anything how . . . how foolish it is to hold grudges." Hermione felt utterly stunned.  
  
"Who are you and what have you done with Ron Weasley?" She demanded and he laughed a little.  
  
"I'm not that different, am I?" His smile faded after a moment and his expression turned serious once more. "I . . . I know it's over between us, Hermione, and frankly, part of me is rather relieved. I've known that we needed to call it quits for a long time and I'd felt it coming for a while, but I didn't know quite how to tell you." Hermione blinked.  
  
"You mean . . . you _wanted_ to break up?" Ron nodded slightly and she stared.  
  
"Right after school started, I realized that you meant much more to me as a friend. I just couldn't stand fighting with you constantly; I knew we didn't mix. I just was too chicken to say anything. I was afraid I'd lose both you and your friendship." Hermione couldn't think of anything to say. "And then look what happened. I think the reason I lost it so badly is because . . . well, I was jealous. In that picture, you looked so very happy. And I knew you'd never worn that expression when you were with me."  
  
"Ron, that's not true. I was happy with you." Ron's eyes searched her face and he shook his head.  
  
"Not like that you weren't." She opened her mouth to protest, but he'd pressed a finger to her lips. "Look, I know you like him a lot. Dean and I used to joke about it, all through fifth year. We'd wondered how long you could stand Harry being so freaking oblivious." She looked at him crossly and he smiled. "Wondering why I asked you out then?"  
  
"Well, yes!"  
  
"I did it mostly because I couldn't stand the thought of you throwing yourself at someone who didn't even realize you liked him, but . . . I really did like you. I just came to the conclusion that I liked you better as a friend than as a girlfriend." She shook her head in wonder. "So can we go back to being friends? I really miss talking to you." She gave him a look.  
  
"You don't miss my conversation as much as you miss my help on homework." She fought a smile as Ron did his best not to look guilty. "But yes, we can go back to being friends." He grinned and she laughed a little. "I suppose you've got a list, have you? Of all the assignments you need help on?"  
  
"I'm not that desperate. I can manage quite well on my own, thank you." She cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"I see you two are finally talking." A soft, croaky voice said and Hermione jumped. She spun to see Harry smiling at her slightly, his green eyes shining.  
  
"Harry!" She practically yelled, her voice awash with relief and joy. She rushed forward and hugged him tightly, but jerked back as he cried out slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you all right? Do you still hurt?"  
  
"I feel like I've been mowed down by about a million hippogriffs." He said wearily, his voice breaking every so often. It sounded rather dry and scratchy. "My entire body aches and I can barely move." His fingers twitched a little. "That's about all I feel up to doing." Hermione reached down and held his hand, his fingers curling around hers. "So is either of you going to explain what in the hell happened to me?" Ron had moved to sit on Harry's other side and Hermione reclaimed her chair.  
  
"The cauldron exploded, throwing you into the wall and nearly killing you." He said and Harry grimaced.  
  
"I could've told you that." He licked his lips. "Can I have something to drink? My throat feels like I've swallowed sand."  
  
"You're only allowed water, Mr. Potter, and a Restorative potion." Hermione looked up to see Madam Pomfrey emerging from her office, a goblet and a rather large bottle in her hands. "Help him sit up, would you two? He needs to take some of this, and I doubt he can move without help." Hermione and Ron stood to do exactly what the nurse ordered. "You broke quite a few bones, Potter, including several ribs and the lower part of your spine. Thankfully Professor Snape got you up here in time, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do anything."  
  
"If I'd broken my spine, wouldn't I be paralyzed?" Harry asked, and Hermione noted a small tremor of fear in his voice. Madam Pomfrey gave a sharp laugh as Ron and she managed to get Harry upright.  
  
"No, dear boy. Unlike most Muggle hospitals, I can mend any broken bone, including your spine. It just takes a lot of energy, mending bones. That's why you're so tired." Hermione frowned, but didn't voice her question. Wouldn't Madam Pomfrey be the one who was tired? But she didn't know enough about magical medicine to ask. "You're lucky nothing punctured your lungs; with the amount of power that explosion threw you against the wall, I am very surprised that every bone in your body wasn't broken. But you're the lucky one, aren't you? You always seem to be lucky, Potter." Harry watched her silently as she poured him a goblet full of the deep blue potion.  
  
"Is that the Restorative potion?" Hermione asked curiously. She'd never seen them before; they were supposedly very difficult to make.  
  
"It is indeed. Now drink it all, Potter, and don't you pull a stunt like you did with the Skele-gro. This is very rare, and I won't have you wasting it, no matter how horrible it tastes." She handed the goblet to Hermione. "Help him drink it, dear. I don't think he could lift a hand right now if he tried." Much to her surprise, he was able to, but it shook so much that he couldn't hold the goblet if he'd wanted to. Hermione thus gave him little sips of the potion until it was completely gone. "Now, you'll have fifteen minutes of visiting time before I come back. Potter needs his rest and he's not going to get it with you two here." And with that, she walked away briskly, her skirts swishing softly.  
  
"Cheery, isn't she?" Ron said and Harry laughed. Well, it had started as a laugh, but had ended as a coughing fit. "Hey, watch it! We don't want you getting even more hurt." Harry gave him a look.  
  
"I think you're lucky Hagrid is on that mission for Dumbledore, Harry. Knowing him, he'd storm up here and crush you to death with a hug." Harry laughed again, but it was slightly more cautious. Their conversation continued for the next fifteen minutes with light banter until finally Madam Pomfrey came back and ordered them out. Harry gave them a pleading look, but the shove Madam Pomfrey gave them was far more persuasive. Hermione and Ron didn't dare ask her for more time, but promised Harry that they'd be back as soon as possible.  
  
"Hermione." She blinked at Ron, who'd stopped walking the moment they'd reached a fair distance from the infirmary. She gave him a questioning look and he smiled a little. "I'd like you to promise me something, all right?" He took a step closer to her and took her hand.  
  
"It depends on what it is." She said cautiously and his hand squeezed hers gently.  
  
"Promise me you'll go after Harry."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ron winced at her shout. She frowned at him deeply and drew a few calming breaths. "What do you mean, go after him?"  
  
"You two are meant for eachother, I can feel it. You compliment eachother, can't you tell?" Hermione gave him a puzzled look and he sighed slightly in exasperation. "Everybody can tell the two of you like eachother. All you would have to do is look at that picture to see that." Hermione felt her cheeks heat.  
  
"Ron, you said it yourself. Why should I fling myself at someone who doesn't feel the same way? I'm sure Harry only thinks of me as a friend." She said and Ron gave her a scrutinizing look. "You can't possibly think that he likes me because of some picture. For all you know, he just could've been embarrassed." Ron sighed slightly and dropped her hand.  
  
"All right already." He started to walk off, but stopped and turned back to her after a moment. "Well? Aren't you coming to dinner?"  
  
*~*~*  
  
Christmas morning dawned cold and bright. The morning sun danced across Harry's pillow, forcing him awake whether he liked it or not. He grumbled and rolled over onto his stomach before shoving his head beneath his pillow in an attempt to avoid the sunlight. However, all was in vain. He was awake and was therefore stuck that way. Muttering horrible things about the accursed sun, he pushed himself up rather shakily and flipped over so he sat upright in bed. He rubbed his eyes before groping around the small table to find his glasses. It had been two days since he'd first woken up and the only reason he had the strength to move at all was due to the Restorative potion Madam Pomfrey forced down his throat twice a day.  
  
"I see you're finally awake." Came the curt voice of the school nurse as she walked briskly into the room. As Harry expected, she was carrying his morning dose of the potion. "And I see you're feeling stronger. Can you move everything all right?" She asked and Harry flexed his fingers and moved his arms around a bit. "You were able to sit up on your own this morning, which is a good sign. Still feeling thirsty?"  
  
"Not really." He said as he watched her pour him a goblet-full of the potion. "But I am hungry. Would it be all right if I go down to breakfast this morning?" He asked hopefully, but Madam Pomfrey gave him a look that made his insides sink.  
  
"I'll have them send up something. I do think you can handle solids, but I don't think you need to go down to the Great Hall to eat it." There was a note of finality to her voice that made Harry keep his mouth shut instead of trying to wheedle her into allowing him to go. "Here, take this. Let's see how you handle the goblet this morning." Harry took the goblet she passed him and was surprised at how heavy it felt. He would've dropped it if she hadn't clasped her hands around it.  
  
"Looks like I'm still not strong enough." Harry said bitterly and Madam Pomfrey helped him take several sips of the potion. "Gah, that's horrible." He said after swallowing and made a face.  
  
"No one asked you if you liked the flavor. Its sole purpose is to ensure you get well." She said tartly and he took a few more sips. "And I'm not at all surprised that you still can't hold it. Your body has been through quite an ordeal. Both an arm and a leg nearly shattered, three ribs barely existent, massive amounts of internal bleeding and a fair amount of external bleeding . . . you are very lucky to be alive." Harry grimaced.  
  
"I know, I know. Kindly spare me the details, or I might lose what appetite I have." He muttered before managing to finish off the last of the potion. He coughed a few times after swallowing and shuddered. It was like being forced to down something that tasted like old gym socks and rotten sauerkraut twice a day. "But this stuff is doing a pretty good job . . ." He took the glass of water Madam Pomfrey handed him and forced himself to hold onto it. She gave him a look of approval after he swallowed the contents of the glass without spilling a drop.  
  
"You keep healing at the rate you are now, Potter, and you'll be out of here in no time. But I am going to have to keep you here for a few more days." He made another face but didn't argue. "I know it's Christmas, so I might let you go to the feast tonight, but it depends on how you're doing. But you must stay the night here, Potter." She picked up the empty glass and goblet, and the potion vial before swishing back to her office. Harry collapsed back onto his pillows, slightly exhausted from the effort it took to remain upright.  
  
_ If you can barely sit up right now, do you think she's going to let you go to the feast tonight?_ He thought somewhat angrily. He'd never tolerated weakness in himself and this whole situation was beginning to grate on his nerves. He hated having Madam Pomfrey help him sit up or help him drink something. His only comfort was that Malfloy wasn't here to see him. He'd never live it down then.  
  
"Good morning, Harry!" He looked over at the entrance to the room and grinned. Hermione and Ron stood there, a pile of presents in their arms. He pushed himself up and leaned forward as they approached.  
  
"You're looking so much better, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed as she set down the couple of presents she was carrying and gave him a hug. "Happy Christmas, by the way. These are from Hagrid and Sirius." She pointed to the presents she'd set down. "Ron is carrying the ones from Mrs. Weasley and us."  
  
"Mum's made you another sweater. This makes the sixth one, doesn't it? Look, even Hermione's got one." Ron said as he set down the gifts. Hermione was wearing a deep blue sweater with a silver 'H' on it. "Oh, and a letter from Sirius arrived yesterday. Hedwig had to go straight up to the owlery though; she was exhausted from the journey." Harry nodded. "So how're you feeling? You look like you've finally got some color to you."  
  
"Pomfrey says I'm healing quickly, but she wants me to stay here a couple of more days." He answered as he started opening his presents. Mrs. Weasley had indeed made him a sweater of fine green wool and she'd also sent him a rather large box of treacle fudge with a card wishing him a speedy recovery.  
  
"A couple of more days? So that means you aren't allowed to come to the feast?" Ron asked, slightly stunned. Harry shrugged as he reached for Hagrid's present. Hagrid had also sent him a box of treacle fudge, but he'd also given him the strangest looking stick Harry had ever seen in his life. It was about the size of a wand with odd curly markings etched into swirling patterns on the surface.  
  
"What is this?" He muttered, turning it over and over in his hands. He wasn't the least bit surprised when he noticed Hermione looking at it intently.  
  
"Harry, that's . . . that's a taming stick." Harry and Ron stared at her, but she continued on in hushed voices. "Giants use them to tame wild creatures. Supposedly they're the only things that could control a dragon, but apparently all of them were supposed to be destroyed years and years ago."  
  
"So why would Hagrid send this to me?" Harry asked and Hermione shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. But you need to keep a close eye on that. Imagine if it got into the wrong hands . . . You-know-who could have a whole legion of dragons on his side at an instant." Harry and Ron shared a rather nervous look.  
  
"How 'bout opening Sirius's present?" Ron said, nudging a package with his hand. Harry reached for it and tore it open to find a box containing all sorts of wizard candy from all over the world. A small note from Sirius told Harry that the moment he'd seen it, he'd thought of Harry and had had to get it for him. He smiled and glanced at Ron who was looking at some of the smaller boxes with curiosity.  
  
"Wonder what a Canary Cream Puff is . . . think that sounds too much like a canary cream? Wonder if it turns you into a bird . . ." Harry grinned and reached for Ron's present. "By the way, I loved the book. Seamus would be livid with jealousy, _Irish and English Quidditch Teams: Best of the Century_. He'd just been saying how much he wanted it; wait till he finds out I've got it!"  
  
"What if he's already got it? Then you're little gloating plan will fail, won't it."  
  
"Do you always have to be such a spoil sport, Hermione?" She sniffed indignantly as Harry opened Ron's present. He blinked in surprise as he saw the label on the box: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It was a box chalk full of all sorts of joke things and Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
"They actually managed to open it?" He said in disbelief and Ron nodded proudly.  
  
"They said a lot of their stuff has practically flown of the shelves. They were rather amazed, but incredibly pleased. I don't think they expected to do that well, considering recent events and all." Ron and Harry grinned. "I don't think we should try anything in here though. I think Madam Pomfrey might flip."  
  
"And then she'd kick both of you out." Harry said, reaching for Hermione's present. He opened it, and surprise, surprise, it was a book. He tried not to look too disappointed but couldn't help frowning when he noticed Hermione and Ron watching him intently.  
  
"Well? Aren't you going to open it?" Hermione asked pointedly and he looked curiously from her to Ron, who nodded eagerly.  
  
"All right already." He said and lifted the heavy, leather-bound cover of the book. Much to his amazement, it wasn't a book; it was a photo album. "Wow!" He whispered as he started flipping through the pages. They were pictures of his six years so far at Hogwarts, each carefully arranged chronologically. From every page, pictures of Hermione, Ron, and himself waved and grinned. "How . . . how did you do this?"  
  
"It was easy, but it took a while. I made one for each of us so we'll all remember our years here. I'll finish this year and next year for you if you'd like." Harry nodded and Hermione smiled. "I'm glad you like it."  
  
Hermione and Ron stayed all day, eating breakfast and lunch with him and talking to him about everything that had been going on in the castle during his hospital stay. They read Sirius's letter and Hermione helped Harry write another one to send back before promising to send it off as soon as possible. They were forced to leave for a little while so Harry could take a much-needed nap; he hadn't realized how draining it could be to talk with friends.  
  
*~*~*  
  
  
woo, here's the fourth chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to pick my brain or something. I'll answer people's email questions in my next update, because for some reason, I can't send anything to people, but I can get stuff from them! Weird, huh?  
  
  
Yours forever and ever:  
pottergal  
  
  
  



	5. Only Talking, Chapter Five

  
Hello again! It's me, the author, pottergal. But you knew that already, didn't you? Anyhoo, I'm going to answer some questions that people have asked me about my story.  
  
1) Why isn't Malfloy in it?  
The answer to this one is rather complex. It basically has to do with two things. First of all, he didn't fit into the story, and second of all, I couldn't get his character right. He either came out too whiny, or too nasty and rude. I didn't like him at all as I was writing, so I just dropped him out of the story and concentrated on Harry and Hermione. Hope this doesn't offend any Malfloy fans out there.  
  
2) WHEN IS IT GONNA GET MUSHY??  
(And I'm not exagerating the caps, either) Well, if you stick around and keep reading, it will. Have faith in me, this is under romance, isn't it?  
  
Yours forever and ever:  
pottergal (Who has no claim to HP in any way shape or form)  
  
  
*~*~*  
  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
_ Only Talking  
Chapter Five  
_ By: pottergal  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
*~*~*  
  
In the evening, Harry was allowed to go to the feast, but he had to come back early. Hermione and Ron walked by his side all through the halls to the Great Hall, and it took every shred of determination and will power from Harry to keep himself from collapsing in an exhausted heap. He hadn't realized how much he took for granted the ability to walk from one place to another. The Great Hall looked as splendid as ever, the sprigs of mistletoe and holly that they'd picked in Herbology floating beneath the snowing ceiling. The smell of fresh pine mingled with an indescribable scent, creating the smell Harry had long come to associate with the Christmas feast.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't help with the decorating." Harry said as they took their seats, suddenly remembering that he'd promised to assist Hermione and Professor Flitwick. Hermione gave him a look.  
  
"Harry, you were in the hospital wing, practically dead. No one is upset with you for breaking your promise." She said rather sternly as she sat down beside him. "Were you expecting me to march right up to Madam Pomfrey and demand that I take you from the infirmary because you had said you were going to decorate the Great Hall?" Ron snorted with suppressed laughter and Harry managed to smile weakly.  
  
"Harry! My lord, you're alive!" All three of them looked up to see Neville staring at them, his mouth hanging open. "I don't believe it!" He whispered and Harry felt a flash of anger.  
  
"You thought that killed me? I've been through worse." He said, perhaps a bit more sharply than he had intended, and Neville blinked a little. Harry drew a deep breath and forced a small smile. "No, I'm fine, Neville. I'm still a little tired from healing, but I'm certainly not dead." Neville laughed rather weakly and pulled out a chair to sit beside Ron.  
  
"When Snape whisked you out of that dungeon, all of us gave you up for dead, Harry." Neville said rather quietly. "You should've seen the look on Malfloy's face; I don't think I've ever seen him wear such a horrified expression." As Neville spoke, a few more people had begun to enter the Great Hall. "He didn't say one single thing about you deserving it or anything. It was really incredible."  
  
"Yeah, I bet he was too scared to say anything, lest Snape find out that the cauldron that exploded had been his." Ron drawled and rolled his eyes. "When Snape returned to treat those who'd been sprayed by the potion, he said that if he ever found out which idiot had left his cauldron burning, he'd personally see him expelled."  
  
"But he wouldn't expel Malfloy. He's his favorite student." Harry said as he leaned forward, his arms folded on the table. Ron glanced at him for a moment before looking back at Neville. Harry frowned as the two of them shared a long look.  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure. The way Snape was acting . . . even the Slytherins got detentions for after break. And we all lost a decent amount of points for our houses." Neville nodded in agreement with Ron.  
  
"Slytherin is in_ last _place now. I never thought I'd see the day when Snape would take off that many points from his own house." Harry's gaze whipped to the hourglasses by the door of the Great Hall, and sure enough, Slytherin was in last place. His jaw dropped and he shook his head slightly.  
  
"_Harry!_" He jumped as a shrill voice shrieked from the entrance to the Great Hall. He looked up to see Ginny racing towards him, her flaming red hair streaming out behind her and tears of joy welling in her eyes. He gulped awkwardly and fought not to cry out as she enfolded him in a fierce embrace. At the very moment Ginny had wrapped her arms around Harry, he'd seen something strange; Hermione's expression had become a mix of a glare and anger. Harry blinked, but before he could say anything, it was gone. "Oh, Harry, you're really alive!"  
  
"I am, but I might not be if you keep squeezing me so much." He said through clenched teeth and Ginny let go instantly. Harry rubbed his arms painfully and winced as he noticed the look of intense worry on Ginny's face.  
  
"Are you all right? I'm so sorry, I didn't realize that I was hurting you!" Harry gave her the best smile he could muster.  
  
"I'm fine, Ginny. I'm sorry to worry you so much." He watched her blush and grimaced inwardly. "Thank you for caring." Her blush deepened and she began to back away to rejoin a few other fifth years.  
  
"That's . . . that's fine, I mean . . . okay . . . I didn't mind caring . . . ah, I mean . . . worrying . . . um . . ." She stammered. "See you around Harry! I'm happy you're back!" She then turned on her heel and raced towards her friends. Harry sighed inwardly and from the corner of his eye, he noticed Ron shake his head.  
  
"Lord, she's got it worse than I expected." Harry shot Ron with a glare. "And listen to you. Quite the lady-killer, aren't you? Even when you just got out of hospital."  
  
"Oh shut up, Ron." Harry said glumly and put his chin in his hands. Ron grinned, but before he could say anything, the ring of a spoon being tapped against a glass stopped all conversations. Attention shifted to the teacher's table, and Harry couldn't help smiling as Dumbledore stood slowly and beamed at them all.  
  
"Happy Christmas to you all! May this feast begin!" Abruptly the tables were filled with food and every student began to dig in. Harry helped himself to a bit of everything within reach and picked up a fork to begin eating. Something then made him look back up at the teacher's table and he met Dumbledore's twinkling gaze. Welcome back, Harry, it seemed to say, and Harry couldn't help grinning.  
  
About halfway into the feast, Ron and Neville got up from the table to get them all some party favors, leaving Harry and Hermione by themselves. As he helped himself to a bit more pumpkin juice, Harry looked around the Gryffindor table and around the Great Hall. No one else from their year had stayed, Ginny was sitting off with her friends, and even Malfloy was gone. Harry was immensely relieved when he noticed that. He didn't feel like having to put up with comments on how weak he looked.  
  
"Enjoying yourself, Harry?" Hermione asked and he gave her a smile. "Are you sure you're all right? You look rather tired." He shook his head vigorously and ignored the vertigo it caused.  
  
"I'll be fine. I want to stay just a little longer." He said firmly before turning to the deserts. He helped himself to some pie and picked up his fork to take a bite.  
  
"Hey, Harry." He looked over at Hermione, who was looking up. He frowned in confusion before following her gaze upward. Then he saw it; it was a floating piece of mistletoe and it was hovering over his head. He sensed Hermione lean over, and before he could stop her, she'd pecked him on the cheek. He felt his cheeks heat as she whispered in his ear, "Happy Christmas, Harry."  
  
Ron and Neville came back with the party favors, but before they could set one off, Harry felt all of his strength drain out of him. Neville had very nearly shouted in surprise as he watched Harry slump down against his chair, but luckily Ron had clamped a hand over his mouth. He gave Neville a stern look before saying it was time to get Harry back to the hospital wing.  
  
"Why now?" Harry muttered bitterly as his vision came in and out of focus, even with his glasses on.  
  
"The sustaining potion Madam Pomfrey gave you just before we left must've worn off." Hermione said as she slipped an arm through his. "Come on, Harry. We'll walk you back to the infirmary."  
  
"I'm not a child. I can walk just fine." He snapped slightly and hung his head at the hurt look on Hermione's face. He sighed and managed to get to his feet. "I'm sorry, Hermione." He said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you want to help, but I want to walk out of here without help." She glowered at him slightly, but he could tell it held no anger.  
  
"Men and their stupid macho images." He heard her mutter, but she didn't stop him from walking out of the hall on his own. Instead, she and Ron followed close behind him, watching his every move closely. He knew that at the first sign of a waver, they'd insist on helping, so Harry fought with every fiber in his body to keep himself upright and walking straight.  
  
_Almost there . . . _The doors finally closed behind them as they got out of the Great Hall. However, Harry kept walking. He didn't want to be in sight of the doors in case anyone came out and saw Hermione and Ron dragging him up to the hospital wing.  
  
"Harry, this is far enough." Hermione said firmly as she stepped infront of him, her hands on her hips and her expression fixed into one of her best McGonagall glares. Harry blinked a little before extending an arm and leaning on the wall. Abruptly what little strength he'd been squeezing out of himself faded, leaving his breathing ragged and his head spinning. He turned to rest his forehead against his fist, his eyes clamped shut.  
  
"Harry? You okay?" Ron came up on his right and he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. Harry managed to shake his head.  
  
"Oh, Harry, we shouldn't have let you walk like that! You're so impossible sometimes, you know that?" Hermione chided gently as she took his left arm and slung it around her shoulders. "Ron, help me. It's going to take both of us, he's getting weaker by the minute."  
  
"No I'm not!" He protested, but didn't stop Ron from taking his other arm. Moving rather slowly, they started off. Getting back to the hospital wing proved to be slightly difficult; Harry felt like his feet had been turned to lead. It had never occurred to him how many staircases there really were in Hogwarts, and it felt like hours before he got back to the hospital wing. He'd caught sight of himself in one of the mirrors in the infirmary and was slightly stunned to see how different he looked. His cheeks were flushed from exertion, but there were some rather dark circles beneath his eyes and he looked worn. Madam Pomfrey had tutted about the effects of the feast on him, and after forcing him to drink his potion a bit more quickly than normal, she shooed Ron and Hermione away and Harry fell swiftly asleep.  
  
About another week passed before Harry was declared back to normal strength and could safely leave the hospital wing without fear of collapsing from exhaustion. He still found himself getting more tired than usual from walking about the castle, but Madam Pomfrey had assured him that he'd be over it soon. On his first day officially out of the infirmary, he set off on a walk around the lake, enjoying the crisp, fresh air and light sun as he trudged through the snow. Hermione and Ron hadn't been anywhere he had looked so he'd set off on his own, not minding the silence for once. After making one circle, he took a seat on a bench beneath a tree, being careful not to sit under any piles of snow. The last thing he wanted right now was to be hit in the head by one.  
  
It was calm and peaceful as Harry sat beneath the tree, staring out at the lake. A light breeze picked up after a while and created gentle ripples on the surface of deep blue and ruffled his hair slightly. Harry breathed a sigh of content and found himself feeling happier than he had in a while. He didn't have to worry about Cho, he didn't have to worry about school, and most importantly, he didn't have to worry about Ron getting angry over him talking with Hermione. As Harry continued to stare off into space, he heard a dim crunching of snow announcing the presence of someone.  
  
"Harry? What're you doing out here?" He glanced up as the crunching grew louder and gave Ron a small smile. "Hermione and I were looking all over for you. Madam Pomfrey said you'd left a while ago, but we couldn't find you anywhere."  
  
"I tried looking for you as well. Maybe we kept passing eachother or something." He and Ron shared a grin.  
  
"Figures. I could just see that happening too. So what'd you come out here for?"  
  
"I felt like taking a walk." Ron nodded slightly and moved to sit beside him on the bench. "I really wanted to get outside, especially after being inside for so long. You've no idea how boring it is to have to lie in bed all day."  
  
"Some days I wouldn't mind it, when my bed is nice and warm and the castle around is cold and I've got Potions first thing in the morning." Ron grinned as he spoke. "So how're you feeling? You look ten times better than you did when Snape first brought you to the infirmary, but . . ." He trailed off, his face contorted slightly in thought. "You still don't look the same. Your face is kinda pale, or something." Harry sighed a little.  
  
"I know, and I still get rather tired from walking too much. But Madam Pomfrey assured me that I'll be fine. I've got to go to her in the mornings and the evenings for one more week to take the Restorative potion, but once that's over with, I should be back to normal." Ron nodded and a small silence fell between them. Harry watched Ron stare off at the lake for a moment, his blue eyes glazed over and distant.  
  
"Harry, I want to apologize." Ron said suddenly and Harry blinked in surprise. "I never got a chance to make up with you properly, even though I've been on speaking terms with Hermione for a while now." Ron looked at him, his expression a mixture of remorse and determination. "I'm sorry for everything I said; I truly am. You know I never meant a word of it, right? I was just . . ." He trailed off and grimaced.  
  
"Anger? Furious?" Harry tired and Ron shook his head.  
  
"No, I wasn't so much angry as I was jealous." Harry blinked again and Ron sighed. "The way you two looked in that picture . . . well, it really hit something. I'd known that you'd liked her for a while, but - "  
  
"Whoa, hang on." Harry said, holding up a hand. "Back up. What do you mean,_ I've_ liked her? Hermione is my friend; that's it." Ron gave him a look that made him shift uncomfortably.  
  
"Come on, Harry, I know you can be the thickest bloke on the planet sometimes, but since when have you ignored what you're feeling?" Ron said with a combination of disbelief and amazement.  
  
"I don't ignore what I'm feeling. Hermione is my _friend_. That's it, nothing more." He tried again, his tone annoyed and his expression a mixture of exasperated and cross. It deepened when Ron shook his head amusedly.  
  
"Harry, I know people don't think I notice things, that I'm a bit oblivious." He looked from the lake and back to Harry, his gaze doing a damn good job of mimicking Dumbledore and his x-ray stare. "But what they don't realize is that I do see things that are beyond my nose. I just may or may not choose to acknowledge it." Harry frowned.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I've known that you've liked Hermione since fifth year. You may've not even realized it yourself, being the blockhead that you are sometimes. Especially when it comes to girls." Harry scowled and Ron grinned. "I'd seen signs of it all over the place, but the two of you never acted upon it at all. So I finally got sick of it and asked Hermione out." Ron went back to watching the lake and he sighed, his demeanor becoming more serious. "I think you know pieces of the story, but you need to know the rest of it."  
  
"What do you mean, I don't know all of it?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused. "What does this have to do with anything? And how does it affect me?" Ron looked at him for a moment before continuing.  
  
"I knew Hermione and I weren't supposed to be together right from the get-go." Ron said and Harry frowned. "We fought way too much and no matter what I did, nothing seemed to be right. You know how she looked in that picture?" Harry nodded slowly. "Not once did she smile or look that happy when she sat with me. In the few pictures I have of us, she looks . . . bored, if anything. It starts to get to you after a while, you know?" Ron started staring at the lake again, his voice growing soft. "Maybe I'd been too stubborn to let her go, maybe I just didn't want to admit that I'd made a mistake, or maybe I was too chicken to actually break up with her properly, but I just couldn't seem to face the fact that we didn't match. I clung on, trying my damnedest to get things to go right, but it kept blowing up. So when I saw that picture, it all rushed on me in a second. I'd known from the start that I wasn't going to be the one to make her happy." Ron looked at him, his blue eyes boring into him. "I knew that it was going to be you."  
  
"Wha . . .wha . . ." Harry sputtered slightly, completely stunned.  
  
"I knew in my gut that the two of you were meant to be, I just didn't like it being waved in my face so blatantly. I knew I had to call if quits then, to finally let her go, but I couldn't help being jealous. I couldn't help being angry." Ron smiled slightly then. "So I wanted to apologize for everything I said. Quite honestly, I never meant to call you those things and I knew you weren't trying to steal her. You'd already done that from the first day we met her."  
  
"I . . . I don't know what you're talking about." Harry said uneasily, not liking the look he was getting. "Why are you telling me this, anyway?"  
  
"Quit playing dumb, Harry! You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm sure you've felt something when you look at Hermione; otherwise, why would you be blushing like a tomato in that picture?" Harry grimaced as his cheeks began to heat. "So I want you to go after her, Harry. No more of this ignorant act, all right?"  
  
"I really don't know what you're talking about." Harry insisted and Ron stood.  
  
"Well, keep your eyes open at least. And if I don't see something happening, I may just have to do something drastic." Ron grinned and Harry stared at him. "Who knows, you might find yourself locked in a broom closet one day, with a certain someone . . ." Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"Ron, you wouldn't."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" He said, his grin growing mischievous and making Harry's insides squirm. "Think of the rumors that would fly then . . . oh, you'd never live it down." Ron laughed to himself before walking off to the castle. "Are you coming, Harry? I'm sure there's still some lunch left, otherwise we'll have to sneak down to the kitchens . . ." Harry scowled at the back of Ron's retreating head. What did he know anyway? Hermione was his friend, that was all. How could he possibly think of her as anything else?  
  
For some reason, a pit of dread began to grow in Harry's stomach. As he and Ron got closer and closer to the Great Hall, more and more he felt like running in the opposite direction. He swore under his breath to himself, cursing himself as a coward of the worst kind. What was there to be afraid of in the first place? It was Hermione, his friend. If he was afraid to face her after his talk with Ron, then . . . well, he'd just have to face the fact that Ron had been right about him and his feelings for Hermione. He'd have to break down and admit . . . he'd have to admit to the very thing he swore on everything sacred not to.  
  
"What's up, Harry? You okay?" Ron's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Harry glanced at his friend and nodded.  
  
"I'm fine. Let's get lunch, all right? I'm starved." And with a deep breath, he pushed open the doors to the Great Hall and walked over to the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Harry! I'm glad Ron found you! We've been looking everywhere." Harry looked over and saw Neville waving to him. He waved back, only to notice Hermione smiling at him. He blinked a little and fought the impulse to run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. It's just Hermione, he told himself repeatedly. Why in the world should he be frightened of Hermione?  
  
"I found him over by the lake. Apparently he'd been taking a walk." Ron plopped down beside Neville and Hermione pulled out a chair beside her, the smile remaining on her lips. "So when's lunch? I hope it's soon. Being outside just makes me so hungry."  
  
"Anything makes you hungry, Ron." Hermione said dryly and Ron rolled his eyes. "Are you okay, Harry? You're just standing there." Her gaze returned to him and Harry realized he'd been frozen. With a slight jolt, he shook himself and took the seat beside Hermione uncomfortably. For the slightest of moments, he noted the small hurt look in her eyes, but she covered it quickly with a small smile. This made Harry frown inwardly; why would she be hurt? Was it him? Maybe she hadn't wanted him to sit beside her . . . but . . . why would she pull out the chair then? Was she being polite, and she'd thought he'd sit by Ron or something?  
  
_Oh, get a grip! See what Ron's done to you?_ Harry looked up at Ron to see a satisfied smirk on his lips. Anger rushed through him then, but he could only settle for a dark glare. He couldn't exactly smack Ron to get him to stop smirking, but it was exactly what he felt like doing.____ _I bet he did this on purpose. He probably did it just to get a laugh of of me. _Harry shook his head then and sighed inwardly. _Listen to yourself, Potter. Sounds like he hit a nerve or something. You know, you really must like her, or something. Why else would you get this defensive?_  
  
"I'm not." He whispered and then attention shifted to him.  
  
"You're not, Harry?" Hermione asked, her expression confused. Harry felt his face begin to heat as she continued to stare at him intensely. "But why wouldn't you play in the next Quidditch match? Gryffindor would lose horribly without you. We all saw that in our first year." Harry blinked, his gaze snapping from Ron's suspicious look to Neville's deep frown and back to Hermione's confusion.  
  
"Oh, of course I'll be playing! I thought . . . well, never mind. I was thinking about something else." He covered and fought a wince. Smooth, he thought. Utterly smooth. Best cover up you've done, I must say.  
  
"What were you thinking about, Harry?" Ron asked, his voice purely dripping with amusement and sarcasm. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain someone, would it?" Hermione glanced up at Ron sharply and Neville looked slightly interested.  
  
"N . . . no!" He stuttered, coughing a bit in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He said, perhaps a bit more loudly than he'd intended. This time he did wince and Ron grinned triumphantly.  
  
"I suggest you share, Mr. Potter. I think we're all dying to know what you're not going to do." Harry glared and stood after a moment.  
  
"You know, I'm really not that hungry. I'll see you all later, okay?" And with that, he hurried out of the Great Hall, anxious to get away from Ron. That . . . that . . . arg! He hadn't been this frustrated or this angry in a while. What did Ron think he was doing, anyway? Had he meant to make Harry uncomfortable around Hermione? Because if he had, then he'd certainly succeeded.  
  
"Harry!" He froze and gulped. Not her . . . not now . . . "Harry, wait!" He turned slowly and plastered a smile on his face as Hermione hurried up to him. "Thanks for stopping so quickly." She said sarcastically and Harry bowed slightly.  
  
"My pleasure." She laughed a little and little jolts of happiness flew through him. Oh lord, this could not be happening. Ron couldn't be right . . . he just couldn't! "So . . . what do you want?" He asked, hoping his voice didn't betray his nervousness.  
  
"I wanted to apologize for Ron. I don't know what you were talking about before you came to lunch, but I think it was rather mean of him poke at you like that." She smiled, her face lighting up and Harry's knees very nearly failed him.  
  
"You didn't have to apologize, Hermione. It's not your fault that Ron was being Ron." She giggled and Harry could've kicked himself. For a person trying to get away, he wasn't doing a very good job. Instead, he smiled at her and fought the gasp of surprise as she took his hand. Her touch was like a bolt of electricity going up and down his skin . . . but . . . it felt . . . nice. Her hand squeezed his gently and he couldn't help squeezing back.  
  
"I'm so happy to see you back on your feet, Harry. You've no idea how worried we were that you had . . ." Her gaze darkened and she bit her lip. "I was so scared, Harry." She practically whispered and her eyes met his. He gulped at the sheer multitude of emotions in her gaze . . . worry, fear, hope, and . . . longing? "I was afraid that . . . that I'd . . ."  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" Ron's voice came from the direction of the Great Hall, and Harry dropped her hand like a hot poker. "Where are you? Lunch is starting!" He could've sworn he heard Hermione swear softly, cursing Ron and his perfect timing.  
  
"Go have lunch, okay? I'm sure we can talk later." She shot him a concerned look as he nudged her back towards the Great Hall. "Don't skip a meal on my account, okay?" Before she could say anything to stop him, he turned and walked up the stairs to the common room. Relief spread through him when she didn't call to him and he was able to make it up to the common room. He told the password to the Fat Lady and collapsed into a thick armchair by the fireplace.   
  
_Lord, what is with me?_ He shook his head furiously, as though he could clear it by doing that._ If Ron hadn't said anything, nothing would've changed. I wouldn't feel so damned self-conscious around Hermione now._ He rubbed his eyes and settled against the back of the chair with a sigh.  
  
"This can't be happening . . . it just can't."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Woo, it's more of the story! Wow, we're getting close to the end. Just one more chapter! Hope you all are liking this, and *gasp* it's getting slightly more mushy! Who would've thought it could get that way??  
  
Love forever and ever:  
pottergal  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Only Talking, Chapter Six

  
  
  
Hello and welcome to the final chapter of the story! *sniff sniff* can you believe it's almost over? Ah well. Now to answer the questions people have sent me. Um, one quick question of mine to a reviewer; I'm . . . evil? You're joking, right? Normally I can tell with these sort of things, but for some reason, I'm taking this literally. I probably shouldn't huh. Oh yeah, and how is it the best and the worst break up? Is it really that poorly written? (Can you tell I don't to fights well? My friend has been harping on me for a while about that.) *Wilts beneath heat of reviewes* ah well, enough of that. Onto the e mails people have sent me. Someone asked me which my favorite HP character was. Well, it's Harry and Hermione. I love them to death, and I think I said this somewhere already. What else . . . gee, i think that's it. well then, here's the last and final chapter!  
  
Yours forever and ever:  
  
pottergal  
  
  
  
*~*~*  
  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
_ Only Talking  
Chapter Six  
_ By: pottergal  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
*~*~*  
  
Over the next few days, Harry couldn't help but avoid Hermione. He wasn't sure what it was, but every time he saw her coming up to him, his brain would fly into a panic and his feet would carry him as fast as they could in the opposite direction. He really didn't like doing it, but he couldn't stop himself. He just couldn't. Ron also began to give him annoyingly know-it-all looks, and Harry found himself avoiding Ron as well. It made things increasingly difficult, mostly because both of them seemed set on finding him, but also because when he wasn't avoiding them, Harry was bored out of his mind. He knew it would be only a matter of time before one of them would corner him, and he had to laugh at the irony when he found himself in a hallway with Hermione coming up one stairwell and Ron coming down the one behind him.  
  
_Great, just great._ Harry thought, struggling to maintain some of his composure. _Now what do I do?_ But neither one had seen him, thank the lord. Hermione had her nose buried in a book and Ron was talking to a second year Harry had never spoken to. Harry stood rooted to the spot, his mind trying to choose between the one he'd rather be caught by. He finally cursed himself and ran towards Hermione, clamped a hand over her mouth, and pulled her down a hallway veering to the left. He dimly heard her gasp in surprise, but kept running; he didn't want to be found by Ron, he really didn't.  
  
What finally made him stop was not the fact that he'd gotten far enough away; it was Hermione sinking her teeth into his hand. Harry howled in pain and let her go, and she reeled on him with her wand out in an instant.  
  
"Who the hell are - " Her mouth fell open as she saw it was Harry, who was nursing his bitten hand sullenly. "Ha . . . Harry? What . . . what in the world were you thinking? Why did you grab me like that? I thought you were someone who was going to try and . . ." He frowned as her cheeks went slightly red. "Well, ah, um . . ."  
  
"I'm sorry I did that, Hermione, but I needed to get away from Ron. I figured you'd chase me if I just ran past you, so I grabbed you." Hermione gave him a curious look and Harry couldn't help but fidget beneath it. "I'm sorry if I hurt you or anything. I really didn't mean to, I just . . . well . . ." Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure why he'd grabbed Hermione like that. It probably would've been better to ask her quickly to go with him or something.  
  
"You just didn't think, did you." He nodded sheepishly. "It's okay, I suppose. You didn't hurt me so much as you stunned me. I wasn't expecting to be yanked down a hallway like that." She picked up the book she'd dropped when she'd spun to face him and put it in her bag. "So why did you need to get away from Ron? Does it have anything to do with the conversation from that lunch?" Harry grimaced.  
  
"I didn't want Ron to start hounding me about, um . . ." He trailed off, his face heating as he thought about the reason Ron would be pestering him. "Well, yes, I suppose you could say it does." There was a pause of silence in which Harry began to chew at the inside of his cheek nervously; he couldn't tell her what the conversation was about. He drew a deep breath and tried a different track. Think, he told himself. What can you talk about? "Hermione, I want to apologize for avoiding you. I, uh . . . I guess I just . . ." Damn, he couldn't tell her why he'd been avoiding her either.  
  
A long silence passed between them, Harry racking his suddenly blank mind for something, _anything_, to say to her. But he continued to come up with nothing, his thoughts going in circles of "Ooh, try that!" and "No, that wouldn't work . . ."  
  
"You don't have to explain, Harry." Hermione said after a moment, her voice rather stiff and he could tell she'd been hurt. "I can understand why you've been avoiding me. I mean, who wouldn't? Who'd want to hang around with a dull and boring bookworm like myself?" She said curtly and she looked away hastily.  
  
"That's not true and you know it, Hermione. Since when has the fact that you read a lot made me stop talking to you?" She shrugged a little. "Never, that's what. If anything, your reading has saved my neck quite a few times."  
  
"Then what is it? Ever since you got out of the hospital wing, you've been avoiding me." She looked back up at him, her jaw clenched slightly and her eyes holding both determination and a faint sheen of tears. "Did I say something? Did I do something to offend you? What happened to those talks that we used to have? What . . . what's happened to our friendship?" Her voice grew soft and she looked at her feet. "I . . . I feel like I've lost you, Harry. I've lost your friendship, and I'd like to know why." Her voice hardened as she looked back up to him.  
  
"You haven't lost a friend, Hermione! I . . . I just . . ." He trailed off awkwardly a second time, mentally kicking himself repeatedly. Ron had told him to go for her, hadn't he? So why . . . why couldn't he say anything? Why was he so frustratedly tongue-tied? "I . . . I can't exactly say why I've been staying away lately. It's rather complicated, I suppose." He said and felt as though he were fumbling for words. Yet another long silent pause passed between them, Hermione staring at him with a frown and he staring back, desperately trying to communicate to her that he didn't hate her. It was just . . . he was afraid. He didn't want to have another relationship like the one with Cho . . . he didn't want to tell her that he'd started liking her as more than a friend. If he did, he'd definitely lose her friendship.  
  
"If you can't tell me, that's fine, Harry. I seem to have been under the impression that we were better friends then that." She said at last, breaking the silence and jerking Harry from his revelation. There was a sharpness to her words that cut him and made him bristle with anger. "But I was wrong, wasn't I." The barb stung Harry deeply and he couldn't help the glare that formed.  
  
"Well, I can't tell you everything, can I? There are some things you just can't tell a girl." He retorted harshly and mentally told the part of him that was appalled to keep quiet. He watched as Hermione blinked a little before returning his glare with an icy stare.  
  
"Is that so." She said simply and turned on her heel. "I guess you don't need me, then do you? I was just some meager replacement until you had Ron's pure friendship again." It was Harry's turn to blink; he hadn't expected this reaction. He'd expected a yell, a glare . . . he'd expected anger, but not cheerless defeat. "I'll see you around then, all right?" She said with a small tremor to her voice and began to walk off down the hallway, back to the place Harry had dragged her from. There was something in her stature, something in her voice that told Harry she wasn't just leaving him alone. From the way she'd acted, he could swear that this was . . . this was the end. By walking away now, she was going to end their friendship completely.  
  
"_WAIT!_" Harry yelled, not bothering to keep the desperation from his voice, and she stopped in mid-stride. He was a fool, the biggest fool on the face of the earth. He knew Hermione, and he knew better than to retort so acidly. He had to tell her, tell her why he'd been staying away. She was walking away now, wasn't she? If he told her, she might still walk away, but . . . but she'd know why. She'd know the reason why he'd avoided her.  
  
"What is it?" She asked rather tartly and Harry drew a deep breath, screwing his eyes shut and drawing on every shred of courage he possessed.  
  
"The reason why . . . well, it's because . . ." His voice wavered, and he opened his eyes slowly. His gaze met Hermione's and he heard her gasp slightly. He took a small step towards her, their eyes locked, and he saw panic creep into her expression. "It's because I think . . ."  
  
"No, I don't want to hear it!" She shouted suddenly, stunning him. She clamped her hands over her ears and shook her head. "I don't want to hear it if it's what I think you're going to say! I won't hear you say it!" She shook her head again, a bit more vigorously. "If you want me from your sight, then I'll go now!"  
  
"Hermione!" He yelled as she turned and began to run in the opposite direction. "Hermione, stop! You don't understand!" Harry cursed himself and drew a deep breath. There was only one option now; chase her and make her listen to him.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Hermione stood infront of Harry, her heart feeling as though it had been ripped out, stomped on, trampled, shot a few times for good measure, and then put back. When he'd started avoiding her, as it was blatantly obvious to her despite his attempts at subtlety, it had sent small pangs of hurt through her. Each time he changed course in the halls, got up from the table to leave when she sat down, hardly said a single word to her, the pain grew. Ron had cursed him out a few times, and she'd learned that he'd started avoiding him as well. But Ron, who seemed to know why Harry had been avoiding her, remained totally silent when she'd asked him. He finally had said something, but it had made her frown.  
  
"If he's too chicken shit to say anything, then I'll be damned if I will." Say what, she'd wondered? Had she done something, said something, to upset him? What? Why wouldn't someone just tell her?! Her inner self screamed. So when he'd grabbed her and dragged her down the deserted hall, she'd felt glad. Finally he was ready to tell her what'd been bothering him.  
  
But she'd been wrong. Talking with him had only made her insides writhe with more pain, her heart aching. The pain had made her realize that she really did care about him, that Ron had been right all along. What he'd seen years and years in advance, Hermione herself hadn't realized until she stood a few feet from Harry, her heart aching because he wasn't being the same friend as usual. Another realization occurred then; she couldn't chase someone who was oblivious, and Harry was most certainly oblivious.  
  
"If you can't tell me, that's fine, Harry. I seem to have been under the impression that we were better friends then that." She said after another long moment of silence, her heart breaking. Since when had he stopped confiding in her? Hadn't they grown closer this past year? Or was that her imagination? Had it all been a dream, that power drawing her to him? She'd nearly drowned in his gaze, had wanted to stay forever looking at him, taking in his every move . . . could that have been what was driving him away? Had he realized that she felt something she shouldn't feel for her friend?  
  
"Well, I can't tell you everything, can I? There are some things you just can't tell a girl." He said bitingly and she blinked as he glared at her, that dark frightening glare. Her insides went cold, and his words seemed to confirm her very thoughts. They really hadn't grown closer, nothing had changed. Her heart hardened and she couldn't stop the icy stare that formed.  
  
"Is that so." She said simply, unable to think of a decent retort, and turned on her heel. "I guess you don't need me, then do you? I was just some meager replacement until you had Ron's pure friendship again." Bitterness rose within her as she lifted her foot to walk away from him. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have been so goddamn blind? How could she have believed Ron when he'd said that she and Harry had something? She was a fool, a fool! "I'll see you around, all right?" She said in what she hoped was an offhand manner. She began to walk quickly, before the tears could fall from her eyes. She wanted to get out of here as fast as possible, she wanted to get away from him.  
  
"_WAIT!_" Harry yelled, and she stopped in mid-stride. There was something in his voice, a note of desperation that made her put her foot down and turn slowly, cautiously, to face him. His face was taught, his green eyes darting back and forth across the hallway. He looked incredibly tense, as if he was fighting something within.  
  
"What is it?" She asked, unable to keep the bitter notes from her voice. She watched Harry draw a deep breath and shut both of his eyes tight. She frowned, but didn't leave. Silence mounted, but something kept her rooted to the spot. If she moved now, she felt, she'd break his concentration and she'd never say another word to him because she'd been about to abandon their friendship.  
  
"The reason why . . . well, it's because . . ." His voice wavered slightly and he opened his eyes. Hermione gasped as their gazes locked, his eyes holding a completely different expression. Guilt, remorse, sorrow, and . . . was that longing, or . . . or disgust? No, no it couldn't be. Fear rose in her then; this couldn't be happening. He couldn't be dismissing her . . . but she knew Harry. Even if he didn't like someone, he'd be as kind as possible. By avoiding her, he'd been trying to give her a hint. "It's because I think . . ."  
  
"No, I don't want to hear it!" She shouted. She didn't want this to be happening . . . she wouldn't let it happen! She clamped her hands over her ears and shook her head. "I don't want to hear it if it's what I think you're going to say! I won't hear you say it!" She shook her head a second time. "If you want me from your sight, I'll just go now!"  
  
"Hermione!" She heard him yell as she turned and started running away from him. "Hermione, stop! You don't understand!" But she wasn't about to; she understood completely. She was going to run, and run, and run . . . she didn't want to hear him say it.   
  
_What the . . ._ She looked over her shoulder at the sound of footfalls and gasped as she saw Harry running after her, his expression determined and slightly angry. _Oh no . . ._ She tried to put on more speed, but failed. It was clear which one of them was the athlete; all the rough Quidditch practices had paid off for Harry as he quickly closed the gap between them.  
  
"_Stop . . . running!_" He yelled through clenched teeth and Hermione felt a hand grab the back of her collar, yanking her to a halt. They landed in a giant heap, both breathing hard from the chase. Hermione sniffed a little as she rolled onto her hands and knees and struggled to stand up. Her neck hurt from where her collar had choked her and tears were beginning to trickle down her cheeks. If she got up now, he might be stunned enough for her to get to where some people were . . .  
  
"Are you still going to try and run?!" She'd managed to get to her feet, but the moment Harry grabbed her wrist, she sank back down to her knees and buried her face in her hands. She wouldn't cry infront of him, she just couldn't! She sniffed again, fighting the lump in her throat. "Hermione, face me! I think you've . . ." He jerked her around, but the second their eyes met, his angry expression melted and she sensed him draw back slightly. Anger filled her then; did he really hate her that much?  
  
"I'm sorry I'm so stupid, Harry! I'm sorry I couldn't take a hint and understand!" She shouted, forgetting about the tears. "You tried to tell me to stay away, that you didn't want me around, but it never seemed to click! So I'll keep out of your way from now on, all right? Will that make you happy?" Tears clouded her vision and trailed down her cheeks. She sniffed angrily and started to turn away from him.  
  
"Oh, Hermione . . ." From the corner of her eye, she noticed him shaking his head ever so slightly. "You've misunderstood completely, haven't you." She blinked and looked back at him with a frown.  
  
"What?" He gave her a gentle half-smile.  
  
"The reason I've been avoiding you wasn't because I hate you, Hermione. In fact, it's the exact opposite." She felt her eyes widen as he drew a deep breath. "It's because I think I like you. A lot, actually." It took her a moment to register what he'd said, as her brain wasn't functioning properly. She stared into his eyes, his oh so beautiful green eyes, and suddenly it had hit her like a giant slap. She jerked back in surprise and she watched Harry look away sullenly. "I know I shouldn't feel this way, but . . . I do." He said softly, as though he were speaking to the floor. "I tried to stop it, make it go away, but it kept getting stronger, and I wanted . . . I wanted to stare at you forever, and not share you with anyone." His lips tightened in a grimace. "But you're one of my best friends, who was going out with my other best friend! What a better way to ruin everything by starting to like you, huh?" He snapped, his voice full of bitterness. His eyes grew angry for a moment, but he sighed and the expression faded to one of regret. "But I . . . I couldn't help it." He looked back to her, back to her stunned expression. "And now you're running away, trying to get away from me. Well, I couldn't let you leave without knowing. So now you'll have a proper reason to leave, to abandon the idiot who started to fall for one of his best friends."  
  
She stared at him for a while in silence, her voice paralyzed from shock and her heart utterly _dancing_ with joy. He continued to sit beside her quietly, his expression full of remorse, his eyes focused on her, waiting for her to leave, to get up and walk away and never speak to him again . . .  
  
But she didn't. Instead, she felt her face break into a grin, and threw her arms around his neck. His eyes widened in shock, and he gasped as she essentially tackled him and they fell backwards. Hermione hugged him as tightly as she could, nearly squeezing the life out of him from sheer happiness. He coughed finally, and she stood. He stared up at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. She smiled and pulled him to his feet before hugging him again and laughing.  
  
" . . . Hermione?" He asked, his voice awash with about a million different emotions. He pushed her off of him somewhat reluctantly and frowned down at her face. She'd started crying again, though she was laughing at the same time. "What is it? What did I say?" She couldn't endure the look of pure concern in his eyes so she hugged him again and pressed her lips to his ear.  
  
"You great git, you're even more thick than Ron." She could sense his confusion, but she didn't allow him to break free from her grip. "I'm just so very relieved, that's all. And you know why?" He shook his head, his hair tickling her face. "Because I feel the exact same way."  
  
"_What?!_" He finally jerked free, his expression so very stunned and his mouth hanging open. Hermione beamed at him though her tears of joy, and he stared, goggling at her. "But you . . . I mean, you . . . you . . . you _can't_ like me. That . . . it just doesn't . . . it can't . . ." His mouth was opening and closing, his brain trying desperately to make sense of her words. "You like Ron! You can't like me, that's impossible!"  
  
"Give it a rest, already!" She nearly shouted. "Accept it, Harry. I like you. And I have for a while now." He gulped and she slipped her arms around him for the fourth time. Her head came to rest on his shoulder and she buried her face in his neck. "So quit being such a blockhead, okay?"  
  
"You felt it too, then. Didn't you." He finally wrapped his arms around her, his face pressed against her hair. "Every time I looked at you, I just couldn't get enough. Your eyes . . . they held me forever." She giggled slightly and nodded. "I wanted to be lost in your eyes, never having to think about another thing."  
  
"That's exactly how I felt." She murmured, little tingles running though her body. It felt so incredibly wonderful, in Harry's arms. His strength seemed to envelop her, protecting her, shielding her from everything. She never wanted to leave, she wanted to stay in his embrace forever, not have to return to the world of classes and teachers and other students . . . This was a million times better than anything else at Hogwarts, and she wanted it to continue on, never ending . . .  
  
"Hermione?" Harry's soft question barely registered; her mind was off somewhere and she was floating in a sea of bliss. "When did you start liking me?" She shrugged as best she could.  
  
"I don't know. It feels like I have forever." He murmured an assent, his arms tightening around her. "Harry? Can we stay like this always? I don't ever want to move . . ." She whispered, but suddenly his grip loosened and he took a small step away from her. She frowned angrily; she'd been enjoying herself and suddenly it was over.  
  
"Neither do I. But . . ." Their gazes locked and suddenly Hermione understood. They couldn't stay in the hallway forever, it was impossible. They would be missed and then people would come looking, and then . . . "We do have lives, and we still have to live them."  
  
"Darn, and I was hoping we could run away together." She said slightly sarcastically and Harry raised his eyebrows. "I know, I know, Harry." She sighed. "But at least we know now, right? And since I'm no longer going out with Ron, it's okay. We can be a couple." She took his hands and squeezed them warmly as he turned over the word a few times. "That's right, you heard me. A couple, a pair, a duet, two people together."  
  
"I know, Hermione." He said exasperatedly and she giggled. "It's just . . . strange. That's all. I never thought that I'd ever have another girlfriend, especially after Cho." Hermione felt a flash of indignation at the mention of the other girl's name and drew herself up haughtily.  
  
"If you think for one moment of comparing me to her, Harry Potter, I will hex you into the next country." He grinned sheepishly and she melted. The way his eyes sparkled, the way his mouth curved, it was enough to turn her into a pile of mushy Hermione. "Don't do that!" She said with laughter and he frowned in confusion. "You just have to turn me to jello, don't you?"  
  
"I didn't know I could. What did I do? This?" He grinned again and she laughed again.  
  
"I'm not telling. I don't want to be weak-kneed for the rest of my life."  
  
"That's quite the compliment. I can make the infamous Hermione Granger, the one who'd never so much as _look_ at a guy, weak in the knees just by grinning, can I?" She cuffed him lightly on the shoulder as he continued grinning at her. "Most interesting. Now I know exactly how to break your concentration during Transfiguration and Charms . . . you'll never do a proper spell again."  
  
"Is that so?" She said, but before she could think of a good retort, a voice called her from further down the hall.  
  
"Hermione! Where are you?" She cursed under her breath and looked at Harry. His expression was slightly sad, and she couldn't help but feel slightly cheered by it. It meant that he too had wanted their time alone to last just a little bit longer.  
  
"That'll be Ron looking for me. We were going to meet to work on our Potions homework." Harry looked crestfallen, and she touched his cheek gently. "Don't look so down, all right? We've got plenty of time to do things together. Now come on, let's go find Ron." She slipped her hand through his and they started off towards Ron's voice. But before they got very far, Hermione stopped walking and looked up at Harry. "One more thing before we go. Do you think we could keep this as low key as possible? When we're around others, that is. I really didn't like the way you became the odd one out when I was going out with Ron."  
  
"I understand completely, being the one who knows what it's like to be the third wheel. I'll try and not let this affect my friendship with Ron, all right?" She beamed at him and suppressed a giggle as a faint red tinge appeared on his cheeks.  
  
"You look so cute when you blush, did you know that?" She grinned as his face went even redder. "Oh, but I forgot. Guys don't blush do they."  
  
"We do." His voice came out as a small squeak and she laughed.  
  
"One last thing before we go." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. His face looked like a sun burnt tomato as she stepped back and she couldn't help but shake her head. "Come along, Mr. Potter. It's time to rejoin the real world." He smiled at her just as Ron came around the corner. Hermione saw him and grinned; he was shaking his head slowly, his hands on his hips, but a wry smile tugged at his lips.  
  
"So what have you two been up to?" Ron asked, his gaze flicking between them. Harry went red again and Hermione almost kicked him. "That bad, huh? Wow, I would've given you at least a few more weeks. Who would've thought you'd start out at_ that_ level."  
  
"Oh shut up, Ron. We were only talking." She gave Harry a pointed look and he nodded vigorously.  
  
"That's right, only talking. Nothing more." Ron gave him a skeptical look as Harry met Hermione's gaze. She smiled gently as the spell came back yet again, making her float away dreamily in his wonderful emerald eyes. "We were . . . only talking."  
  
*~*~*  
  
YEY! It's done! Took me long enough, sheesh. I apologize if people are ooc, and I'd love to hear what you think. Um, I'm thinking of doing a short sequel to this, one that involves Harry and Hermione either a few months into their relationship, or one at the end of seventh year. It definitely wouldn't be as long as this one (so I say now . . .), I think it'd be more of thoughts or something. Anyway, tell me if you think it is worthy enough of my time. Thanks a lot to everyone who has reviewed with their two cents.  
  
Yours forever and ever:  
pottergal  
  
  
  
  



End file.
